URI Spring Football – Jim Fleming
URI Football held its spring practice on Saturday, April 19, 2025 at Meade Stadium.
- URI men’s basketball added two forwards, Keeyan Itejere and Alex Crawford, from the transfer portal.
- URI women’s basketball players Hawa Komara and Anaelle Dutat entered the transfer portal.
- Providence guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim entered the transfer portal seeking a medical hardship waiver.
- Rhode Island natives Cam Rust and Hassan Washington committed to Seton Hall and Northern Illinois, respectively.
The University of Rhode Island men’s basketball team started and ended the week with a pair of commitments out of the transfer portal.
The Rams women could suffer two unexpected departures, Providence’s men could lose a perimeter shooter and Bryant’s women saw a scoring guard depart for her home state. A pair of Rhode Island natives also found their next college programs through commitments later in the week.
Entries must be made by Tuesday to be eligible for next season, and commitments are likely to stretch into the summer. Coaches will start to see a clearer picture both on their own rosters and in the market for new, veteran additions for 2025-26.
Here’s a look at last week’s action.
URI picked up pledges from a pair of frontcourt players, with Northern Kentucky forward Keeyan Itejere and Fresno State forward Alex Crawford both committing to the Rams.
Itejere held an offer from URI during his prep days and ultimately committed to Shaka Smart, flipping from Texas to Marquette when Smart was hired away by the Golden Eagles. He redshirted in 2021-22, played the next season in Milwaukee and spent the last two years with the Norse.
Crawford averaged 11.5 points and 4.3 rebounds while playing in 30 games for the Bulldogs last season. He started at Stetson in 2022-23, spent the following season at San Diego City College and stayed in his native California for 2024-25. Crawford hit double figures 17 times and at least 20 points in four games, including a season-high 26 points in a loss to Utah State.
The Rams now have a four-man transfer class that includes Itejere, Crawford and a pair of guards – RJ Johnson and Jonah Hinton. Jamarques Lawrence (Nebraska), David Fuchs (San Francisco) and Cam Estevez (Fairfield) have all committed elsewhere while David Green, Tyonne Farrell and Always Wright remain in the portal.
Hawa Komara and Anaelle Dutat could both leave Kingston entering their final college seasons.
The pair of junior forwards entered the portal last week per On3. Komara previously announced in March she would return for a redshirt senior season but apparently had a change of heart roughly a month later.
Komara started 34 games in 2024-25 and saw improved production across the board. She finished at 7.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 49.3% shooting. Komara posted four double-doubles and led URI in rebounding 10 times.
Dutat was named to the all-defensive team in the Atlantic 10 thanks to 57 steals, 18 blocked shots and 7.9 rebounds per game. She added 8.0 points and connected on 28 3-pointers after not attempting a shot from beyond the arc through her first two years with the Rams. Dutat started all 34 games and played in 98 total through three seasons.
URI has lost one player in the portal to date, with forward Katie Ledden committing to New Hampshire. Ayanna Franks also entered after spending her first season in the Rams backcourt.
Friars guard Jabri Abdur-Rahim entered the transfer portal while pursuing a medical hardship waiver to extend his career into the 2025-26 season.
Itejere averaged 7.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 blocks while shooting 59.2% from the field in 33 games last year. He was a top-60 player nationally in block percentage and a top-80 player nationally in effective field goal percentage. Itejere scored in double figures 10 times, including in five straight games from late January to early February.
ESPN reported Abdur-Rahim will look to leave Providence after one year. He played in the first 22 games with the Friars before suffering a season-ending knee injury and undergoing surgery. Abdur-Rahim scored in double figures seven times, including 27 points in a loss at St. John’s that turned out to be his finale.
Providence has been active attempting to rebound from a 12-20 campaign. The Friars have received commitments from Cole Hargrove (Drexel), Jason Edwards (Vanderbilt), Daquan Davis (Florida State), Jaylin Sellers (Central Florida) and Estonia wing shooter Stefan Vaaks. Bryce Hopkins (St. John’s), Christ Essandoko (South Carolina) and Jayden Pierre (TCU) have all committed elsewhere while Justyn Fernandez, Eli DeLaurier and Anton Bonke all remain in the portal.
Breezie Williams will leave Bryant after one season and return to her native Ohio for 2025-26.
Williams signed with Wright State last week after averaging 9.6 points and reaching double figures 10 times in 28 games with the Bulldogs. She claimed an immediate backcourt role after a transfer away from America East rival New Hampshire and will bring that scoring touch to the Raiders.
Williams is a Canton native and one of four Bryant players who entered the portal. Gabrielle Sweeney, Jada Leonard and Silvia Gonzalez have yet to find their respective next stops.
South Kingstown native Cam Rust and Providence native Hassan Washington have pledged to Seton Hall and Northern Illinois, respectively.
Rust was a decorated frontcourt recruit who left Penn State after one season. She played in 19 games with the Nittany Lions and netted 10 points in an early win over Canisius. Rust landed in the Big East and will go head-to-head with Providence in 2025-26.
Washington played at Mount Pleasant and Prise Academy in Missouri before spending the last two seasons in New York at Monroe Community College. He averaged 11.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and shot 63.7% from the field through 60 games with the Mustangs. Washington claimed past offers from Radford and Portland before winding up with the Huskies.
On X: @BillKoch25
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