This former Boys Basketball Player of the Year has a new home in college basketball

• Two-time Taunton Daily Gazette Boys Basketball Player of the Year Troy Santos is transferring to NCAA Division 2 Francis Marion University.
• Santos, a standout guard, averaged 13.6 points, 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game as a freshman at the University of Hartford.
• FMU coach Jake Zehnder praised Santos’ speed, mobility and playmaking abilities.

FLORENCE, S.C.— The 2022-23 and 2023-24 Taunton Daily Gazette Boys Basketball Player of the Year is taking his talents to the Palmetto State.

Former Taunton boys basketball standout guard Troy Santos was announced as the latest transfer signing by NCAA Division 2 program Francis Marion University Thursday in a statement posted to the program’s X account.

“Troy possesses a unique combination of speed, mobility and shiftiness at the lead guard position,” FMU coach Jake Zehnder said in a statement posted to X. “He has an innate ability to create advantages for himself and seems to always know how and when to pass (to his open teammates).”

Santos joins up with the Patriots after a solid freshman season for the Division 3 University of Hartford. With the Hawks, he averaged 13.6 points per game, as well as 3.9 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists this winter.

He was named the first Conference of New England Rookie of the Week of the 2024-25 season after dropping 27 points, as well as 5 rebounds, 3 rebounds and a pair of steals in his college debut against Mitchell College.

“His dribble-pass-shoot expertise is rare and immeasurable,” Zehnder said. “We’re thrilled to add such a dynamic player to our program.”

During his time at Taunton High, Santos helped contribute to the Tigers’ first Hockomock Kelley-Rex title as a sophomore before becoming the main man his junior and senior years. As a senior, he led the Hockomock in points per game (24.2) and joined older brother and former teammate Trent Santos in the Taunton 1,000-point scorers club.

Santos becomes the second former Taunton Daily Gazette Boys Basketball Player of the Year to head to FMU after former Bridgewater-Raynham standout and 2017-18 Player of the Year Doug Alves Jr., who transferred in for his junior and senior seasons.

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The Patriots are coming off a 10-19 season and a first-round exit in the Conference Carolinas Tournament at the hands of the University of Mount Olive. FMU also announced the addition of rising senior guard Cole Deptula as a transfer from fellow Division 2 program Young Harris College Wednesday.

Santos is now the second former Greater Taunton area basketball standout to transfer this month, after former Bridgewater-Raynham star Shay Bollin announced her move across the Big Ten from the University of Illinois to the University of Wisconsin as a graduate transfer on May 5.

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