Throughout the summer, GoRhody.com will run a weekly feature series introducing the members of the 2025-26 Men's Basketball team. The series will focus on their respective basketball journeys.

KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island has a history of small, electric guards. Myles Corey may be next.

The 6-1, 180-pound Ontario, Calif. native has not followed a traditional path to Kingston. The bulk of career has come with Jessup University, where he was one of the best NAIA players in the country from 2020-24. Last season, Corey made the jump to South Alabama, where he earned Third-Team All-Sun Belt honors while leading the Jaguars to a 21-11 record.

How good was Corey during his time at Jessup, which made the transition to NCAA Division II last season?

• He is the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,612 points in 102 games (15.8 points per game).
• He was a two-time NAIA All-America Honorable Mention
• He led Jessup to the NAIA National Championship tournament twice in three seasons, including a run to the national quarterfinals in 2021-22
• He was a three-time Golden State Athletic Conference All-Conference selection
• He was the GSAC Rookie of the Year in 2020-21
• He holds the program record for steals with 165, which is 61 more than any other Jessup player

He ranks second in program history in 3-point baskets (199), second in assists (270) and fourth in made free throws (293).

If there were questions about whether his game would translate to Div. I, Corey seemed to answer them last season. In his lone season at South Alabama, he scored 440 points while averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 assists, 2.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. Heading into 2025-26, he has already scored 2,052 points, dished out 408 assists and recorded 211 steals in his collegiate career.

In short, he can play.

"With the coaching staff here, it just felt right to make another jump coming from South Alabama," Corey said. "I wanted to play for a coaching staff that was really detailed oriented and could help me get to the next level. I want to be a pro, so I want to understand all those things that come with playing at the pro level.

"In order to be a pro, you need to know and understand the details of the game. You need to be efficient on and off the court. This staff felt like they could give me the best shot at achieving those goals. Their planning and their attention to detail in the recruiting process stood out. How they spoke about their plans for the team, and their plans for me, gave me a lot of confidence. They were not just selling me a dream, but they were confident in their ability to help me reach the dream. I really appreciated that."

Corey hails from a basketball family, and he said it was the familiarity with Archie Miller and Duane Woodward in particular that solidified URI as the right place for him.

"I lived in Maine for a year, so I am familiar with this area. I played in Rhode Island a few times," Corey said. "My family is a basketball family. They knew Archie's history. They knew Duane Woodward's history. My family knew that in coming to Rhode Island, there were people here who would know how to take care of me. All of those factors made me comfortable in making the decision to come here."

The journey has been different for Corey. He's a West Coast guy who knows that many people are not as familiar with NAIA basketball. For him, it worked. After leading Diamond Bar High School to back-to-back league titles, Corey chose to do a prep year at Maine's Bridgton Academy, giving him familiarity with the New England region.

"I am from the West Coast. I played NAIA basketball," Corey said. "Going to South Alabama and coming here to Rhode Island, none of the guys knew me ahead of time. That's okay. I'm a relationship guy. I talk with everybody. Learn together, fight together, love together. All of those things are important when it comes to team building. As an older guy, you understand how important that part of the game is."

When it came time for college, it was right in the middle of the uncertainty that came with the COVID pandemic. Corey decided to play alongside his older brother Malik at Jessup.

"There was a lot of isolation for everybody during that time," Corey said. "For me, at least I had my brother there with me, so I was not alone. There was a support system, and having the chance to play on the same team as Malik is something I'll never forget."

The decision certainly paid off. In Malik's final season - and Myles' second - Jessup went 30-7 and earned an at-large bid to the NAIA National Championship. The team won three tournament games, including an 88-84 win over No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan in the Round of 16, in which Myles had 15 points, four assists and three rebounds.

After starting all 102 games he played at Jessup - where he led the team to an overall record of 74-37 - Corey wanted a new challenge. He leveled up to the Sun Belt and led South Alabama to a record of 21-11 last season, up from a 16-16 mark the year before. The Jaguars appeared to have locked up an NIT bid, only to have the invitation rescinded in a moment botched by the NIT and NCAA. The confusing end didn't take away from the overall success of a 20-win season that included a 13-5 mark in league play.

"We had a lot of older guys there last season, very similar to the group you see coming to Rhode Island this year," Corey said. "The leadership aspect made a big difference. When you have a group of guys who have been through it, experienced the hard part of the college season, it is easier to come together as a group. It makes it easier to help bring the young guys along too. We are all in the same boat together. Last year, we had one goal, which was winning. It is the same thing this year for the team. One goal.

"Last season, we had a standard that was set early. We came in, worked and established that standard. Coming here, I want to do the same exact thing. I see it with the other guys coming in too. Continuing the upward mobility of the program is important. Everybody coming here wants to win, first and foremost."

Check back on Thursday, July 17 for a feature on forward Alex Crawford. To order tickets for the 2025-26 Men's Basketball Season, click here.


Summer Series
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6/26 - Itejere Offers Explosive Presence in the Paint
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7/10 - Early Patience Allowed Sow's Game To Grow