KINGSTON, R.I. – Using a precise, disciplined approached designed for long-term success, Rhode Island Head Coach
Archie Miller has officially added seven players to the 2022-23 men's basketball roster.
The group consists of four transfers – forward Josaphat Bilau (Wichita State/New Mexico JC), guard Anthony Harris (North Carolina), guard Brayon Freeman (George Washington) and guard Brandon Weston (Seton Hall). Also coming in are three true freshmen – center Jeremy Foumena (Orangeville Prep in Montreal, Canada), guard Louis Hutchinson (Long Island Lutheran) and forward Rory Stewart (Orangeville Prep).
Recruiting both true freshmen and players in the transfer portal, Miller and his staff made a point of bringing in players who will grow with the program on a year-to-year basis, rather than one-year pieces. All seven players joining the program have at least three seasons of eligibility.
"From a competitive standpoint, we wanted guys from winning backgrounds with high skill levels," Miller said. "We wanted guys who could come in and fit the way we are going to play, both offensively and defensively. Additionally, this is a class that fits in well with the URI campus community. These are young men who value the things we want our program to be about in the classroom and off the court.
"The versatility in our recruiting that came from casting a wider net was also something we focused on. Being able to blend high school and international prospects with the additions we made through the portal, all of these guys fit needs, and they fit needs long term. They are not one-year fixes. We want to have a significant portion of our roster intact as we recruit into the future year-to-year."
Brayon Freeman
G | So.
6-2 | 180
Washington, D.C. | George Washington
An Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team selection for George Washington in 2021-22, Freeman averaged 10.3 points, 3.7 assists and 2.3 rebounds per game for the Colonials. A highly efficient shooter, he shot 43.3 percent from the floor, including 43.6 percent from beyond the arc. A quality distributor as well, Freeman was the first George Washington freshman in 18 seasons to record more than 100 assists while also ranking second among the league's rookies in assist-to-turnover ratio. He arrives with three seasons of eligibility.
Archie Miller on Brayon Freeman
"Brayon is a proven guard in our league who adds value in multiple ways for us. He is a skilled offensive player who can distribute the ball and make people around him better. At the same time, he has a unique way of adding a scoring punch. He was able to shoot 40 percent from 3-point range as a freshman. His combination of skills is going to fit well in multiple personnel combinations on the floor."
Brandon Weston
G | R-Fr.
6-5 | 200
Brooklyn, N.Y. | Seton Hall
Highly sought after as a four-star recruit out of Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix, Weston was Seton Hall's first Top 100 recruit since 2017. He chose the Pirates over the likes of Michigan, Pitt, Illinois and Wake Forest, but he decided to enter the portal after the departure of Head Coach Kevin Willard and his staff. An explosive scorer, he averaged 24 points, 10 rebounds and three steals per game as a junior at Morgan Park in Illinois. He has four seasons of eligibility remaining after a freshman season at Seton Hall in which he played just one game due to injuries and issues with COVID-19.
Archie Miller on Brandon Weston
"Brandon was an extremely heralded high school player. He was one of the highest-rated players Seton Hall had signed. With his versatility, skill level and explosiveness, we feel like Brandon will be an impact player for us on the perimeter. He can guard multiple positions, but he also is a bona fide scoring threat at all times."
Josaphat Bilau
F | R-So.
6-10 | 235
La Roche-sur-Yon, France | Wichita State/New Mexico JC
Despite spending one season each at Wichita State and New Mexico Junior College, Bilau arrives with three seasons of eligibility remaining. The France native averaged 4.6 points and 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks in 14 minutes per game this season at New Mexico JC, helping the team reach the Region 5 semifinals. Bilau also showed an adept passing touch, with 30 assists in 26 games.
Archie Miller on Josaphat Bilau
"Josaphat is a guy who is a little more school and well-versed in terms of experience because of his time at Wichita State and the junior college ranks. He brings great size to our front line, but he's also unique in that we believe he'll be able to play with other front court players and without."
Anthony Harris
G | R-So.
6-4 | 195
Woodbridge, Va. | North Carolina
A four-star recruit coming out of high school in 2019, Harris spent the last three seasons at North Carolina, competing against the best in the nation on a daily basis. Injuries limited him to 35 games over his three seasons, but he comes to Kingston with three more years of eligibility. A physical, aggressive defender who can score in a variety of ways, Harris is viewed as a primary ball handler in Rhode Island.
Archie Miller is very familiar with Harris, having recruited him out of high school. In his time with UNC, Harris shot .478 from the field while playing as a wing.
Archie Miller on Anthony Harris
"Anthony is a very strong-willed competitor and great defender. He is an attacking guard. Coming from North Carolina, he has had opportunities to play at the highest level. We are anxious to create a new role for him as more of a primary ball handler. He is a guy who can obviously handle the ball and make plays. He excels at breaking the defense down, but he also has the ability to play with other guys and play off them. He gives us great versatility in terms of our defensive ability."
Louis Hutchinson
G/F | Fr.
6-7 | 185
Upper Marlboro, Md. | Long Island Lutheran
The first player to commit to the new Rhode Island staff, Hutchinson is a versatile wing with the ability to impact both ends of the floor. A team captain for coach John Buck's nationally-ranked Lutheran High program, Hutchinson led the team to an 18-5 record this year after missing his junior season. Hailing from a tremendously athletic family, Hutchinson's father was a Division I tennis player. His aunt was a basketball star at Clemson, his uncle played Division I football, and he has more than a dozen cousins who have played Division I sports. Serious in the classroom as well, both of Hutchinson's parents have doctoral degrees, while his sister Naya – who performed for Fordham's elite Alvin Ailey dance program – recently finished a master's degree.
Archie Miller on Louis Hutchinson
"Lou is an exciting kid which great character from a terrific family. He is tremendous in the classroom and excelled while playing for a terrific high school coach in John Buck. Lou is a unique combination of great length, quickness and skill. He is a versatile defender across the board, and offensively he's going to be able to play multiple positions for us. He has the ability to grow into a guy with deep range. He will add size to our wings."
Jeremy Foumena
C | Fr.
6-11 | 235
Montreal, Canada | Orangeville Prep
One of two freshmen coming by way of coach Tony McIntyre's Orangeville Prep program in the Toronto area, Foumena chose Rhode Island while also holding offers from UCF and Georgetown. Other programs that looked at him included Oklahoma, Indiana, Marquette and Xavier. He is 6-11 with a 7-3 wingspan. With two uncles who played professionally in France, Foumena has strong bloodlines in the game. With a competitive and aggressive approach on both ends of the floor, this is a high-impact front court addition.
Archie Miller on Jeremy Foumena
"Jeremy brings in tremendous size and length at 6-11 with more than a seven-foot wingspan. He has great speed and agility for a big guy. He can run the floor well and fits into an up-and-down style. As he evolves, he has the skill level to really shoot the ball, and he can put the ball down well for a big guy. Long term, he is somebody we look at as a major difference maker who can be one of the better frontcourt players in the country."
Rory Stewart
F | Fr.
6-8 | 230
Toronto, Ontario | Orangeville Prep
A teammate of Jeremy Foumena's at Orangeville Prep, Stewart is a long-range shooter who honed his craft under coach Tony McIntyre's tutelage. A 6-8 wing who originally hails from London, England, Stewart is one of the best pure shooters coming out of Canada. In addition to his work on the perimeter, Stewart shot better than 90 percent at the free throw line, displaying a deadly shooting touch in multiple facets of the game.
Archie Miller on Rory Stewart
"Rory is a guy who has really spent a lot of time honing his craft. He brings good size to the table at 6-8 and 230. He is a bone fide 3-point shooter with great range. You can't have enough of that skill level as you are molding your program's style of play. Rory is going to be a great fit for the way we want to run things, where he can pull defenders away from the basket. He will be able to give our other guys space on the floor to work with. Without question coming in the door, his 3-point shooting ability was something we really looked at."
