Roster Outlook Before Transfer Portal Opens on March 24th

Before the transfer portal opens up on Monday, March 24th, we will take a look at the 2024-25 roster and the movements we are already aware of.

Trey Robinson: Exhausted Eligibility

Trey Robinson played 5 full seasons at NKU from 2020-2025. COVID gave Trey an extra year of eligibility which allowed him to return this past season as a graduate senior. In his career, he averaged 8.9 PPG, 4.6 REB, and finished last season as the team's leading scorer with 15.5 PPG, ranking 7th in the league.

Josh Dilling: Exhausted Eligibility

After scoring 1,281 points at three different schools in four years, Josh Dilling transferred from Division II Northern State University to NKU. Here he averaged 13.5 PPG, 3,0 REB and 2.5 AST, along with a lethal 39.5 3PT%. He finished just one three pointer shy of tying Cole Murray's NKU DI single-season made three pointers record (101).

Keeyan Itejere: Entered Transfer Portal

Keeyan Itejere transferred from Marquette to NKU in 2023 and in his two seasons he averaged 7.7 PPG, 5.0 REB and 1.6 BLK. He routinely had highlight reel dunks with his near 40" standing vertical. On March 20th in the post below he announced that he would be entering the transfer portal. Keeyan participated in Senior Day festivities with the Norse this past year, so it is not entirely surprising that he has entered the portal where he can pursue other schools or professional opportunities.

Sam Vinson: Fighting for Eligibility

Sam Vinson has played four seasons at NKU where he started in all 109 games he has played in, while averaging 11.5 PPG, 4.5 REB, 3.5 AST and 2.11 STL. In the 2023-24 season Sam tore his ACL at Saint Mary's (CA) on December 21st 2023. He played in 13 of NKU's 33 games that season.

Per the NCAA:
The Rule is that the injury must have occurred in the first half of the season and that the athlete competed in 30% or less of the team’s games in order to have that season turned into a medical redshirt where you can get that year of eligibility back.

Sam Vinson's injury was a season-ending one that occurred in the first half of the season, but he played in 39% of NKU's total games. Sam is currently fighting to get that year turned into a medical redshirt to allow him to play another season.

Hubertas Pivorius: Thank you, Basketball

On March 20th, "thank you, basketball" was Hubertas' message on Instagram along with photos from his time playing at NKU. Hubbie participated in Senior Day with the Norse, as he was a senior. He did not play in the 2023-24 due to a shoulder injury, so he probably had a medical redshirt to use, but it looks like he has decided to hang it up after averaging 3.5 PPG, while shooting 37.4% from 3.

Dan Gherezgher: No Movement and 1 More Year of Eligibility

Dan is a DII transfer from Michigan Tech where he played just two seasons before transferring to NKU. Although he struggled early in the season with turnovers, he became NKU's go-to scorer to close out the season. He averaged 16 points in the last 11 games and his finishing around the rim opened a new element offensively that the Norse did not have most of the season. The most important move of the offseason is retaining Dan Gherezgher.

LJ Wells: No Movement

LJ will be a senior this upcoming year and is coming off of an overall underwhelming season where he averaged 7.3 PPG, and 5.3 REB, but finished with a spark. In the last four games of the season, he averaged almost 12 PPG and 9 REB.

Randall Pettus II: No Movement

Pettus will be a junior this upcoming year and is also coming off a down year, where he averaged fewer points and minutes than his freshman year. After starting 14 consecutive games in the middle of the season, he did not start the last 11 games of the year. In the final 6 games of the year he averaged under eight minutes a game. I would not be shocked if he ultimately entered the transfer portal.

Donovan Rakotonanahary: Coming Off Redshirt 2024-25 Year

Donovan will be a redshirt freshman going into next season after not playing and redshirting the 2024-25 season. He has great athleticism, but will need to continue to develop his overall basketball skills to make an impact for the Norse next season.

OFFERED

On March 17th, Northern Kentucky offered a scholarship to Tijan Saine, the DII guard from Western Washington. So far, he has received offers from Weber State, NKU, Missouri State and Coastal Carolina. Tijan redshirted his freshman year, but played the last two seasons.

Saine is 5'11" and 175 pounds and was used as a primary ball handler for the Vikings. This last season he averaged 17.3 PPG, 2.8 REB and 4.0 AST. He also shot 46.5% from the field, 39.6% from three, and 89.8% from the free-throw line this past season. He was very efficient coming off of high pick and roll plays, along with being great as a spot up shooter who loves to drive right.