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For the past three seasons, the UMass Lowell River Hawks were knocking on the door of their first conference championship and trip to the NCAA Tournament. Twice, the formidable Vermont Catamounts slammed that door shut, and last season, the Maine Black Bears ended their run in the quarter-finals of the postseason tournament. With that final defeat, a successful chapter in River Hawks men’s basketball history came to an end. A new chapter now begins.

This offseason brought a stark reality to the program: zero points, rebounds, or assists returned from the previous season. What fans are now witnessing is a true, top-to-bottom makeover. Head coach Pat Duquette and his staff have leaned heavily on the transfer portal and recruiting to completely rebuild the team for the 2025-26 campaign.

The burden of helping to write this new chapter falls first to the three returning holdovers: forward Keenan Bey and guards Isaiah Walters and Kris Johnson, none of whom saw significant action a year ago. They will be integrated with a massive influx of talent: eight players from the transfer portal and two promising recruits.

The New Faces: International, Collegiate, and Prep Talent

The foundation of the 2025-26 squad is built on experience and high potential:

The Recruits

Victor Okojie is a 6-foot-8 forward from Castlebar, Ireland, who last played at Hamilton Heights Christian Academy. Okojie brings a high pedigree, having reached the national finals in Ireland during his sophomore year before spending his junior year competing against nationally ranked teams in the United States.
JJ Massaquoi, a 6-foot-6 guard from Prince George’s County, Maryland, comes from Jackson Reed High School. As a senior, Massaquoi was a prolific scorer, averaging 22 points on 67% shooting alongside eight rebounds, earning him Second Team All-Met, First Team All-DCIAA, and First Team All-DC honors.

The Portal Additions

Coach Duquette prioritized proven talent at the mid-major and high-major levels:

Darrel Yepdo, a 6-foot guard from nearby Dracut, MA, joins from Saint Michael’s College. Over three seasons, Yepdo was a top-15 scorer in his league, earning All-League Second Team and All-League Defensive Team honors.
Xavier Spencer, a 6-foot-1 guard from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, brings elite Canadian university credentials from Carleton University. Spencer was named U Sports Rookie of the Year and OUA Rookie of the Year, making both All-Rookie Teams. He followed that up with an OUA Third Team nod as a freshman and Second Team as a sophomore.
Shawn Simmons II, a 6-foot-6 forward from Philadelphia, PA, played two years at St. Joseph’s (A-10). Simmons is a prolific scorer, having registered 1,000 career points in just three years at Hillcrest Prep before his college career.
Austin Reed, a 6-foot-8 forward from Sicklerville, N.J., played last year at Texas State. Reed showed his high ceiling with a double-double against Georgia State (10 points, 13 rebounds, five assists) and recorded four double-digit scoring games for the Bobcats.
Jared Frey, a 6-foot-6 guard from Columbus, Ohio, spent three years at Stony Brook, where he averaged 6.8 points over 22 minutes per game. He was named Rookie of the Week on December 11, 2023.
Angel Montas Jr., a 6-foot-6 guard from La Romana, D.R., arrives after one season at Mercer.
Jerrell Roberson II, a 6-foot-9 forward from Upper Marlboro, MD, joins after three seasons with James Madison.
Khalil Farmer, a 6-foot-3 guard also from Philadelphia, PA, comes from Hofstra University, where he averaged 3.2 points in 14 minutes of playing time over two seasons, adding 24 assists, eight blocks, and ten steals.

A Road-Heavy Baptism by Fire

Like most schools from small mid-major conferences, the River Hawks will spend the start of the season finding their footing away from home. Ten of their twelve Division I non-conference games are on the road. This challenging slate includes three games against Power-Four opponents: at Connecticut on November 7, at Wake Forest on November 16, and at Iowa on December 29, all before they dive into league play.

For the UMass Lowell River Hawks in 2025-26, the season promises to be both a challenging gauntlet and a fascinating experiment in instantaneous team construction.


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Author ProfileJohn Doucette

John Doucette

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