The Winthrop Eagles have one of the most popular men’s basketball programs in the Big South but have recently struggled in the conference tournament. The Eagles finished fourth in the regular season in 2023-24, then lost to the Longwood Lancers in the first round of the tournament.
Mark Prosser has a winning pedigree as Winthrop’s coach. The program is still looking to take that next step and make the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. In their quest to punch the ticket, keeping forward Kelton Talford, who averaged 14.1 points per game, is a fantastic start to building a competitive roster, along with their new additions in the offseason.
Here are the new faces in Rock Hill, South Carolina:
Guards
Ryan Jolly, 6-3, Grad Student, Piedmont/Lander
Jolly transferred in from Division III Piedmont University, where he averaged 21 points per game and amassed over 1,000 points in four years. While D-III is far from the quality and pace of D-I, having someone who has dominated at that level and gained all kinds of accolades is still worth something. His addition could be a sneaky good signing.
Bryce Baker, 6-5, Junior, Old Dominion
Baker stands at 6-foot-5 and transferred in from Old Dominion. Look for him to play at guard and forward this year. Baker played in 32 games last season at Old Dominion and started in seven of them. Baker’s offensive impact comes from behind the arc, where he made 42 3-pointers, which was second on his team.
Paul Jones III, 6-4, Freshman
A 6-foot-4 freshman, Jones III should be a very handy addition. He attended Combine Academy, one of the top basketball schools in North Carolina, where he helped his team to a 22-4 record. Despite his height and physicality, most of his damage comes from the 3-point line. He averaged just under 11 points per game playing high-quality opponents.
Forwards
Tai Hamilton, 6-10, Sophomore, William & Mary
Hamilton transferred in after playing as a reserve for William & Mary as a true freshman. Hamilton impacted the game mostly on defense, where he ranked in the top 10 in the CAA in blocks per game as a true freshman. He also grabbed about three rebounds per game during a season where he only averaged about 11 minutes per game. Hamilton doesn’t project to start for the Eagles but look for him to check in and get some defensive stops in crucial moments.
Tommy Kamarad, 6-8, Senior, Arkansas Tech/Otero College
Another player transferring in from the lower tiers of collegiate athletics is Kamarad, who averaged 12 points and five rebounds per game for Arkansas Tech last season. Kamarad led his team to the NCAA D-II National Tournament last season.
Center
Logan Duncomb, 6-10, Junior, Xavier/Indiana
Duncomb, a Cincinnati native, transferred from Xavier, where he did not play a game after undergoing sinus surgery last season. At Indiana, he averaged 2.9 points in nine games played in 2022-23.
Notable Departures
Sin’Cere McMahon
Sharp-shooting guard grad-transferred to Norfolk State.
Michael Moore
6-foot-10 power forward transferred to Slippery Rock.
