This was a week in the transfer portal marked by returns.
One guard for the Bryant men and two guards for the Providence women were the main attractions. The Friars also received a second commitment from a male recruit who initially committed in the fall of 2021.
Saint Joseph big man Christ Essandoko joins Miami guard Bensley Joseph among Providence’s incoming class for 2024-25. The Friars are constantly assembling pieces to surround Bryce Hopkins and replace Devin Carter, who declared for the NBA Draft. Garwey Dual joined Carter in announcing his plans to pursue professional opportunities, but will maintain his college eligibility and remain in the transfer portal with Rafael Castro and Donovan Santoro.
Who else is coming and going in the state? Let’s review.
Bryant Men – Earl Timberlake
The Bulldogs signed a veteran in Timberlake who could be the preseason favorite for the 2024-25 America East Player of the Year award. The left-hander, who entered the portal earlier this month, has opted to spend what will likely be his final collegiate season at Smithfield.
Timberlake has already played in Miami and Memphis and played for two years on the Bryant campus. Timberlake averaged 14.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and shot 62% from the field in 2023-24. He will be the centerpiece of the program now that Sherif Gross-Bullock has entered the NBA Draft and signed with an agent.
Coach Phil Martelli Jr. now has a definitive selling point for potential recruits — and, perhaps, for some of his other players in the transfer portal. Tyler Brelsford, Rafael Pinzon, Daniel Rivera, Greg Cantwell and Todd Rochelle signed up with eligibility remaining. The Bulldogs finished third in the conference and reached the semifinals of the league tournament last year.
Women of Providence – Grace Efosa, Brynn Farrell
The Friars convinced two players to trigger fifth-year COVID waivers and stay with them. Efosa has been with Providence since the start of his career, while Farrell transferred from Florida ahead of the 2021-22 season.
More: The Providence women’s basketball WNIT game is scheduled for Monday. Who will the Friars play?
Efosa was second on the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game. She had 5.5 rebounds and 31 steals in 23 games. Efosa overcame a left hand injury to earn all-tournament honors at the Big East event at Mohegan Sun.
Farrell played in all 34 games, averaged 10.2 points and led Providence in 3-pointers and free throws. She shot 38.9% from the bottom to the top of the lineup and was second only to Marta Morales Romero in assists.
Mackayla Scarlett adds another fifth-year player to the backcourt following Xavier’s signing. The Friars have Kendall Eddy, Sahana Kanagasabay, Kammie Ludwig and Bella McLaughlin still in the portal.
Rhode Island Men – Zek Montgomery, Jimmy Ball
Montgomery is back at his first college home in Bradley after one season with the Rams. He committed to the Braves after averaging 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in a single year with URI. Bradley has reached the NIT in each of the last two campaigns.
Ball joined colleagues Ray Allen III and Jameson Smith on the portal. The Rams still have several scholarship players there – Tyson Brown, Connor Dubsky, Jeremy Foumena, Rory Stewart and Brandon Weston. Only Weston has enjoyed any sort of extended tenure in URI’s starting lineup in 2023-24.
Bryant Women – Maranda Nyborg
The Bulldogs continue to add veterans to the portal. Nyborg played in 67 games over three seasons with Fordham and could retain up to two more years of eligibility due to a COVID waiver and a possible retroactive medical redshirt after missing the 2022-23 campaign.
Nyborg is a 6-foot-2 player who averaged 4.3 points and 2.9 rebounds last year. She returned after undergoing spinal epidural abscess surgery and shot 50% from the field. Nyborg joins Ali Brigham (Penn State) and Mimi Rubino (Fairfield) among Bryant’s new, older options.
Nyborg, Brigham and Rubino could replace half of the Bulldogs currently in the portal. Mariona Planes Fortuny, Kemari Reynolds, Megan Bodziony, Breya Busby, Lucie Castagne and Alana Scott were able to leave.
Brown Women – Mya Murray
Murray is seeking a potential COVID year elsewhere after playing 70 games in three seasons with the Bears. She began studying in 2020-21 — the Ivy League did not sponsor athletic competitions due to the pandemic and does not allow graduate students to participate.
Murray averaged 1.8 points and 2.7 rebounds as a senior. His best performance came in the midst of his quest for a place in the conference final tournament – 12 points and nine rebounds in a home win over Cornell. Murray joins teammates Kyla Jones (Northwestern) and Charlotte Jewell in one final college season.
Elsewhere – Aaron Gray
The former La Salle standout is leaving Indiana State after one season. His family connection to the Sycamores has disappeared and Gray now wants to do the same.
Indiana State coach Josh Schertz has accepted an offer from Saint Louis to become their new head coach. He took several team members with him, including assistant coach Antone Gray. The two cousins and Providence natives helped the Sycamores reach the NIT final, where they fell to Seton Hall.
Gray averaged 12.4 points and 4.5 rebounds at Niagara in 2022-23. He played in 15 games for Indiana State and maintains a single year of eligibility.
bkoch@providencejournal.com
On X: @BillKoch25
This article originally appeared in The Providence Journal: Earl Timberlake returns to Bryant basketball; Grace Efosa in Providence
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