Offseason is a time of change and that’s no different for Quinnipiac men’s basketball. Here, we’ll keep you up to date on all the offseason movements affecting the Bobcats.
Click here for the full MAAC offseason tracker.
WHO’S BACK:
The Bobcats are retaining two of their biggest names from last season: MAAC Player of the Year Amarri Monroe and MAAC All-Rookie Jaden Zimmerman. Head coach Tom Pecora has spoken many times about the importance of player retention, especially in the age of the portal.
Monroe tested the portal waters on March 26 to explore his options and received a litany of high-major offers. He narrowed his list down to six schools and, according to CT Insider’s Dave Borges, seriously considered playing for Steve Pikiell at Rutgers. Other schools, Monroe told Borges, treated him “like another fish in the pond”. But he ultimately turned down all the outside offers – and significant NIL money – and announced on April 5 that he was returning to Quinnipiac for his senior year.
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“I just can’t leave this place. They believed in me.” Monroe told Steve Lenox on the Quinnipiac Athletics podcast. “They trusted me to grow as a player and this is where I want to finish my career. I want to build something here.”
“We talked a lot during the process and I really wanted to make sure that we were able to help him with it… giving him the time and space to make his decision,” Quinnipiac associate head coach Shaun Morris said. “There are a lot of people that come out of the woodwork during this process and he kept his circle very tight.”
Along with Monroe and Zimmerman, other returners will include forwards Grant Randall, Braylan Ritvo and Akintola Akinniyi, center Spence Wewe, and guards Samson Reilly and Ronell Giles. Quinnipiac is tied with Marist for the most returning players in the MAAC, with eight.
Randall and Wewe both showed flashes last season, primarily off the bench, while Giles, Reilly and Ritvo should all be key contributors after redshirting. Wewe is expected to get a redshirt year, too, after only playing in seven games due to a stress fracture in his right foot.
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WHO’S JOINING:
The Bobcats had another strong offseason and landed commitments from seven incoming players – two transfer adds and five freshmen.
This year marks Quinnipiac’s highest-ranked incoming first-year class since the recruit ranking system began in 2003. The Bobcats are bringing a talented trio of three-stars in 6-foot-9 forward Jayden Reid, 6-foot-7 wing Keith McKnight and 5-foot-11 point guard Tai Turnage.
Then, the team signed 6-foot-9 Nigerian big man Sam Nosakhare on May 20 and picked up a verbal commitment from 6-foot-7 forward Christopher Skenderi on May 2, likely as a preferred walk-on.
Here’s what you need to know about the incoming first-year class.
Reid is a talented, do-it-all big man from Cheshire, Conn. His head coach, David Pringle at the Westminster School in Simsbury, CT, calls him “a Swiss-army knife”. He’s a fantastic defender, shoots the ball well from three, and is a good playmaker for his position. He recorded an 11-rebound, 10-block triple-double as a junior and hit the 1000-point mark in just three years. He projects best as a stretch-forward or center and associate head coach Shaun Morris says that his potential is sky-high.
“It’s how much upside there’s going to be, when you look at him and see some of the highlight plays that he can make as a guy that’s 6-foot-9 and moves the way he does,” said Morris. “He’s going to be regimented with the strength and conditioning aspect of it.”
McKnight is an explosive, physical wing who dominates on the interior. He’s a standout defender and rebounder too and projects best as a big guard or small forward for the Bobcats. He does not shoot the three, but his efficiency inside makes up for the lack of floor spacing.
The Teaneck, N.J. native averaged 17.9 PTS for Hudson Catholic (Jersey City, N.J.) in his senior year. Some standout games included a 21-point, 17-rebound day vs. Montclair Immaculate and a 24-point, 14-rebound performance vs. St. Peter’s Prep. Morris said that assistant coach Umar Shannon, who is also from New Jersey, spearheaded McKnight’s recruitment. .
6’7 Keith McKnight(‘25) got to the rim all game🔥🏀 @keithmcknight_
McKnight, a senior swingman for @hchawkshoops and @QU_MBB signee had himself field day at the @madehoops JHC. His versatile game was on full display on both ends of the the floor. He did most of his damage… pic.twitter.com/KzMozGzOWj
— ripandgo (@ripandgo) December 31, 2024
“We came in right away in September, and for three to four weeks, he became our top recruit,” said Morris, “You feel extremely lucky when you sign a guy like that early and a kid who really wants to be here because there’s a lot of schools that wish they would have recruited him a lot harder.”
Turnage gives Quinnipiac a talented option at point guard. The St. Raymond’s (Bronx, N.Y.) alum finished his high school career as the school’s No. 2 all-time scorer with over 1400 career points. He averaged 16.7 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game during his senior season and was an AAU standout for the Riverside Hawks on the Under Armour circuit. Turnage comes from a family of hoopers. His dad, Billy Turnage, coaches at Holy Cross H.S. in Queens and was a big part of his son’s development as a player.
Twitchy and tough, Turnage is a proven floor general and playmaker. He shoots the ball well from both mid-range and three and despite his size, he’s an energetic defender. Pecora was very involved in recruiting Turnage to Quinnipiac.
“People always want to be around him because he’s such a good-hearted person,” said Jorge Lopez, Turnage’s head coach at St. Raymond’s. “Now, on the floor, he’s the complete opposite. He’s a killer! He was an absolute joy to coach and for four years, I had the pleasure of starting him as my primary point guard.”
Quinnipiac Bound Tai Turnage turning up for Rundown NYC at is8nikebasketball Spring League ‘25 pic.twitter.com/o4nwRy79OX
— RealScoutBasketball- Nate Blue (@RealScoutBBall) April 28, 2025
Nosakhare brings the Bobcats talented depth in the frontcourt. The former Putnam Science Academy big man joined the Mustangs for his senior year and helped the school win its fifth National Prep Championship. His play earned him individual hardware as well: the NEBL Co-Defensive Player of the Year award.
Nosakhare is quick, long and highly intelligent. He displays great footwork and lateral movement on-ball and excels at reading offenses as a help defender, especially on board crashes. He can be a block machine on the inside and has good vertical skills and body control. On offense, Nosakhare moves well with the ball and can throw down some lethal dunks, but he’s mainly a supplementary scorer. A great rebounder on both ends, he is the type of player who does all the little things a team needs to win. The No. 4 player in Connecticut, according to NERR, played his AAU ball with Team New England.
Morris said a key goal of the offseason was to add big man depth. Quinnipiac reportedly was interested in a handful of transfer bigs, but pivoted to sign Nosakhare after bringing him in for an official visit in early May.
“Talk about a game wrecker,” wrote Doug Scott of RecruitTheBronx.com in December, “Osayi is a world-class physical specimen running on a Ferrari motor.”
The second half of our Twin Towers is uncommitted @nosasamuelosayi …
The 6’9” F has the highest motor, rebounds relentlessly & attacks the rim w/authority.
The @PSAhoops National 🏆 will have PLENTY of options by the end of this 1st @madehoops live period.#TNEBeyondBorders pic.twitter.com/ZrZPd8CbZs
— Team New England Basketball Club (@TNEBBallClub) May 13, 2025
Rounding out the class, Skenderi played his senior year at Avon Old Farms in Avon, Conn. The Little Neck, N.Y. native also played AAU ball with Riverside Select. He has limited quickness and athleticism but offers positional versatility, upside as a floor spacer, and a strong feel for the game. Skenderi also already has a Quinnipiac connection; his sister Cynthia is a rising junior on the volleyball team.
The Bobcats may choose to redshirt some of their new freshmen like the team did with Ritvo and Reilly last season. Morris says that the program places a strong focus on strength and conditioning for most players during their first year at the college level.
Moving to the team’s transfer adds, rising senior guard Asim Jones from FIU and rising sophomore guard Nate Guerengomba from UMass will join the team next season.
We’ve officially added guards Nate Guerengomba & Asim Jones to our squad! 😼
READ → https://t.co/s4aq2ZsGbi#BobcatNation x @MAACHoops pic.twitter.com/b4BS60d6jS
— Quinnipiac Men’s Basketball (@QU_MBB) April 22, 2025
Jones was a key contributor at FIU last season. After playing two years in junior college at the College of Southern Idaho, he jumped to the Div. I level and averaged 9.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting over 43% from the field. He scored 17 in the first round of the CUSA Tournament against Western Kentucky and had a seven-assist performance against Utah Tech in December. Jones played his way into a starting role with the Panthers and projects to begin the year as Quinnipiac’s starting point guard
Standing at 6-foot-2, he’s a proven three-level bucket-getter and facilitator. If everything clicks, he’ll be a prime part of the offense right alongside Monroe and Zimmerman. Jones is a three-level bucket-getter and makes all the tough shots look easy. He shot over 35% from three, and by bringing him in, the Bobcats are hoping he can help remedy the team’s shooting issues from last season.
“Asim is an athletic guard who can score, facilitate, and defend at a high level,” Pecora said about Jones in the team’s press release. “He will immediately improve our team on the floor.”
Guerengomba comes in with some familiarity already – he was teammates with Monroe in his freshman year of high school at South Kent. The Washington, D.C. native and former three-star recruit averaged 2.6 points over 17 games with the Minutemen, including a career-high 10 points against Florida State in November. Guerengomba is the perfect candidate for a sophomore breakout if he can turn his tools into consistent production this year.
TOUGH HOOP + HARM from SIM 💪🏻
Florida City Gas Play of the Game 🎥 pic.twitter.com/MEdqf53RjZ
— FIU Men’s Basketball (@FIUHoops) March 12, 2025Guerengomba already has some Quinnipiac connections – he was teammates with Monroe in his freshman year of high school at South Kent. The Washington, D.C. native averaged 2.6 points over 17 games with the Minutemen, including a career-high 10 points against Florida State in November.
At 6-foot-4, he’s a big-time slasher, finishes well around the rim and can shoot well from three. He plays with a good motor on defense and rebounds the ball well for his position. He projects to be a potential starting option at shooting guard or a sixth man sparkplug next year.
Pecora called him “a versatile guard that can affect the game in many different ways.” Expect Guerengomba to get minutes at both shooting guard and small forward.
BREAKING: 2024 G
Nate Guerengomba (@n8tegg) has committed to UMass 🚩 6’4″, 200lbs.💪 Physically mature & aggressive wing with high-level slashing tools
🔒 Incessant energy on both ends. Hard-nosed, physical glue-guy@SouthKentHoops // @PSACardinals pic.twitter.com/Gz13u3Ix3z— Michael Bergman (@MLBergman_) August 6, 2023
WHO’S OUT:
Eight players will be moving on from the program this year; four to the portal and four due to eligibility. The Bobcats also lost the commitment of top JUCO prospect Lateef Patrick (Trinidad State) in April. He has since committed to Stephen F. Austin.
All-MAAC point guard Savion Lewis announced before the MAAC Tournament that his seventh season as a Bobcat would be his last. Lewis ended his Quinnipiac career as the program’s Div. I career assist leader with 590. He is seeking professional opportunities and expressed a desire to become a coach someday.
“I believe I left a legacy here that the young guys are going to carry on,” Lewis told Q30 Sports in March.
🏀🔉”It feels terrible… just knowing that this was my last time playing for Quinnipiac and I was not able to finish the job.”@savionlewis_ reflected on his seven-year college career and how it has set him up for the future.
(@BeckettCalkins) #maAChoops25 pic.twitter.com/dTpoMns9k8
— Q30 Sports (@Q30Sports) March 16, 2025
Forward Alexis Reyes is also beginning his post-Quinnipiac journey after being drafted by a Dominican professional team, Reales De La Vega, with the seventh overall pick in the LNB Draft in April. Reyes, who averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds as a key role player for the Bobcats
Big man Richie Springs signed his first pro deal, inking a contract with BC Sloga Uppsala of the Swedish Basketligaen on July 7. Springs only averaged around six minutes a game last season. In his lone start, though, he shined, racking up 22 points and 14 rebounds in the regular season finale against Fairfield.
Reyes and Springs bring the tally to 13 former Bobcats actively playing professionally around the world.
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Moving to the portal, Paul Otieno (Saint Louis), Khaden Bennett (Wyoming), Ryan Mabrey (Maine) and Doug Young (Prairie View A&M) all committed to new schools for next season.
Otineo received an extra year of eligibility from his time at Kilgore College after the NCAA’s junior college waiver decision in December. The Kenyan big man is coming off an All-MAAC first team selection as Quinnipiac’s starting center. Otieno hit new career highs in points (13.0), rebounds (8.1) and blocks (2.1) and joined the program’s 1000 point club in March vs. Mount St. Mary’s. He now joins a Billikens squad that finished fifth in the A10 last year.
“We were like, ‘Paul, you’ve done everything you can do at Quinnipiac. You put yourself in a position where you can go make some very good money,” Morris said.
Bennett had a breakout sophomore season. He made 20 starts, splitting time between point guard and shooting guard, averaging 10.3 points and scored a career-best 23 points vs. Sacred Heart in December. He will now look to spur a Wyoming squad that finished 10th in the Big West.
Young & Mabrey both were primarily bench contributors. Young also received a JUCO waiver and was a key backup guard for the Bobcats, averaging 5.4 points on 39.5% shooting. Mabrey began the year as the starting shooting guard, but fell out of the rotation amid inconsistent play. He had some bright spots, though, most notably sinking five threes on the road at St. John’s in November.
Walk-on guard Quinn Guth also left the program after exhausting his NCAA eligibility. He graduated in May with an MBA.
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𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑵𝑬𝑫🖊️@doughoops1 is Officially a Panther
➡️ All-Region selection in ’22-23 at Midland College
➡️ D1 Career high of 24pts for Quinnipiac in ’23-24
➡️ Averaged 20PPG at Midland CollegeWelcome to The Hill, Doug!#PantherPride | #PVAMUMBB pic.twitter.com/EleaTAUr13
— PVAMU Panther Men’s Basketball (@PVAMU_MBB) April 25, 2025
Thank you to all the coaches who have reached out and recognized me as a player and person. With that being said, I have decided to commit to the University of Maine! Thank you Coach Markwood for the opportunity! Go black bears! @MaineMBB pic.twitter.com/3kkgbVmB7d
— Ryan Mabrey (@RyanMabrey2) April 19, 2025
Quinnipiac’s roster is now set for the 2025-26 campaign. Here’s an early, best-guess projection of what the team’s rotation might look like:
There’s a lot of versatility with this group. The Bobcats will have a lot more size to play with in the frontcourt and plenty of positional flexibility. What they decide to do at small forward and center to begin the season will be interesting to watch. We won’t get a good idea of what Pecora & Co. are thinking lineup-wise until closer to the regular season.
What is certain though; the 2025-26 Bobcats will be young, fun and hungry.
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