Leading scorer Clifton Moore, talented sophomore Jhamir Brickus among five La Salle players in the transfer portal
The mass exodus from the men's basketball program comes after coach Ashley Howard was fired on Monday. Brickus and freshman Khalil Brantley have left the door open to return to La Salle.
It didn’t seem like things could get more chaotic at La Salle after the announcement Monday that men’s basketball coach Ashley Howard would not be returning for a fifth season. The news wasn’t a complete shock — Howard had never led the Explorers to a winning season, posting a 45-71 overall record — but that announcement should have met the quota for dramatic departures this semester.
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On Thursday, however, freshman guard Khalil Brantley announced on Instagram that he would be entering the transfer portal, while leaving open the option to return to La Salle. Brantley, who attributed his decision to commit to La Salle largely to his relationship with Howard, had a solid season, averaging eight points in 19 minutes per game. The Bronx native finished fifth on the team in scoring and established himself as an energetic personality who often brought his teammates to life.
Redshirt junior Jack Clark had already announced that he would be entering the transfer portal. Clark, another standout performer this season (12 points, 5.8 rebounds per game), had been one of the program’s most consistent players over his four years at La Salle.
Sophomore Jhamir Brickus joined Brantley Friday in announcing that he would be entering the transfer portal with an option to return. Brickus averaged 8.9 points and 3.3 assists this season. The Coatesville native made the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team his freshman year, after arriving La Salle as one of the top high school scorers in Pennsylvania. A skilled shooter, Brickus is also an unselfish teammate, leading the Explorers in assists in each of his two seasons on campus.
Redshirt senior forward and leading scorer Clifton Moore (12.9 points, 6.9 rebounds) and grad student forward Mamadou Doucoure (1.9 points, 2.7 rebounds) also confirmed this week they will leave the program. Moore, an Indiana transfer, announced that he has entered his name into the transfer portal and also declared for the NBA draft. The 6-foot-9 Doucoure, who spent four seasons at Rutgers before joining La Salle prior to the season, will be entering the transfer portal, according to Verbal Commits.
If all five players leave the program, the Explorers (11-19, 5-13 Atlantic 10) would lose four of their five top scorers and face a complete roster overhaul. Although the results didn’t always show it, at points the Explorers’ offense gelled, and perhaps just needed more time to form a more cohesive and consistent threat. The university will also likely miss out on the opportunity to develop Brantley and Brickus further, should the two not utilize their options to return to La Salle.
It’s unclear if these announcements are all directly related to Howard’s firing..