Saint Francis basketball programs gutted by transfer portal

LORETTO — In the wake of Saint Francis University’s drop to Division III athletics beginning in the summer of 2026, many of the college’s athletes have inserted their names into the NCAA Transfer Portal in hopes of finding new colleges to continue their careers.

The announcement stating Saint Francis was leaving the Northeast Conference and joining the Presidents’ Athletic Conference was made March 25, exactly one week after the Red Flash men’s basketball team fell in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament.

As a result, the Red Flash, after winning the NEC Championship for the first time since 1991, is losing 11 players to the transfer portal.

The Red Flash women, which earned the No. 4 seed and a home game in the NEC Tournament, will see 13 of 15 rostered players depart, including 12 in the portal.

Eight members of the men’s squad are transferring to Division I schools, headlined by NEC Rookie of the Year Juan Cranford Jr.’s commitment to Eastern Kentucky. Fellow starting guards Daemar Kelly and Riley Parker are headed to Northern Illinois and the University of Portland, respectively.

Valentino Pinedo, who served as the team’s starting center, committed to the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Miles Webb (Delaware State), Jeremy Clayville (New Jersey Institute of Technology), Wisler Sanon (Coppin State) and Aaron Talbert (Gardner-Webb) have also signed with new teams.

Blaze Angelotti, Bobby Rosenberger III and Aidan Harris are headed to Division II teams. Angelotti, a Bald Eagle High School graduate, will play for Lock Haven. Harris is now on the roster at Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, and Rosenberger is with NOVA Southeastern University, the defending Division II national champions, in Fort Lauderdale.

A pair of scholarship players, Chris Moncrief and Gestin Liberis, put their names in the portal but later chose to stay at Saint Francis. They, along with freshman Victor Payne, are the only scholarship players remaining from last season’s team.

For the Saint Francis women, 11 of the 12 players in the portal have committed to Division I colleges.

Starters Yanessa Boyd (East Tennessee State), Ineivi Plata (Florida Atlantic), Marissa Shelton (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) and Julianna Gibson (Central Arkansas) are signed.

Kameryn Dorsey, who was injured in the Red Flash’s home opener and missed the remainder of the season, is headed to Binghamton. Freshman Airah Lavy will join Plata in the sunshine state after committing to Florida Gulf Coast. Natalie Johnson committed to Akron.

Forwards Jade Campbell (Niagara), Alary Bell (Longwood), Destini Ward (Georgia Southern) and Fanta Daffe (Kennesaw State) have also committed to new programs.

The lone uncommitted Red Flash player in the portal as of Wednesday is Marina Artero, a sophomore forward from Fontanilles, Spain.

With the departure of senior Harris Robinson, guard Gemma Walker, a Peters Township graduate, and forward Giselle Eke are the two returning players on the roster.