Marist Basketball Roster Changes Signal A Bigger Shift Ahead
Marist basketball roster changes signal a bigger shift ahead
The Marist basketball roster for 2025-26 shows a clear reset built around continuity, targeted transfers, and roster balance, with the men adding five newcomers and the women adding four to complete their teams. Marist's official roster announcements on June 23 and July 14, 2025, indicate that the program is using the portal to fill specific needs rather than overhaul everything at once.
For readers searching for the current Red Foxes roster, the most useful takeaway is simple: Marist has already finalized both teams' core personnel for the 2025-26 season, and the biggest change is not just who arrived, but how the staff is shaping each roster around experience, shooting, versatility, and culture.
Current roster picture
The men's roster now includes nine returners and five newcomers, while the women's roster includes 10 returning players and four additions. That structure matters because it suggests two different roster-building strategies: the men added size, ball handling, and shooting, while the women added a mix of guard and frontcourt depth to support an established core.
| Team | Returners | Newcomers | Total listed roster | Notable roster emphasis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men's basketball | 9 | 5 | 14 | Shooting, floor spacing, guard depth, frontcourt size |
| Women's basketball | 10 | 4 | 14 | Versatility, chemistry, rebounding, defensive length |
Men's roster changes
The men's team added Rhyjon Blackwell, Jordan Gabriel, Ricky McKenzie, Justin Menard, and Myles Parker for 2025-26, a group head coach John Dunne said would help the team "compete for a championship" by improving spacing and addressing multiple areas of need. The official release also says Marist had its fifth 20-win season in program history last year, which helps explain why the staff did not rebuild from scratch but instead tried to strengthen an already competitive base.
Among the most notable additions, Justin Menard brings proven Division I experience from Iona, where he posted an assist-to-turnover ratio of 3.5-to-1, shot 35.5 percent from three, and 87.1 percent from the line across 31 games. Rhyjon Blackwell adds veteran scoring and perimeter reliability after averaging 13.3 points per game and knocking down 65 threes at USC-Aiken, while Jordan Gabriel and Myles Parker give Marist needed size on the interior and wing.
- Blackwell adds shot creation and veteran guard play.
- Menard adds ball security and experience in a major-conference environment.
- Gabriel and Parker increase frontcourt length and rebounding potential.
- McKenzie offers another perimeter option with collegiate experience already in hand.
Women's roster changes
The women's team added Justine Henry, Kasey Bretones, Elle Bruschuk, and Karly Fischer to complete the 2025-26 roster, and coach Erin Doughty said the class filled "all full needs" while enhancing team chemistry and program culture. That language signals a roster strategy centered on role clarity, which is especially important in mid-major basketball where rotations often determine late-season consistency.
Henry arrives as a productive high school guard-forward with 16.7 points, 8.5 rebounds, four assists, and three steals per game, while Bretones, Bruschuk, and Fischer all bring different kinds of transfer value from the perimeter and frontcourt. Doughty's roster note also shows 10 returning players, giving Marist a larger continuity base than the men's side and reducing the risk of a wholesale chemistry reset.
"More importantly, they are high-character individuals who will add to our team chemistry and program culture."
What the changes mean
The bigger shift behind the Marist roster updates is that both programs are now operating in the modern transfer-portal era, where roster construction depends on fast evaluations, immediate fit, and retention as much as recruiting. A 2026 Marist basketball analysis notes that over 2,000 men's Division I players entered the portal in the 2024-25 offseason, representing roughly 35 percent of all Division I athletes, which helps explain why roster churn has become a structural issue rather than a one-year anomaly.
For Marist, the practical effect is measurable: the men used five additions to replace lost production and preserve upward momentum after a 20-win season, while the women used four additions to stabilize depth and complement an established returning core. In both cases, the roster moves point to a program model built on selective upgrades rather than mass turnover, which is typically the more sustainable approach for mid-major success.
Key dates and context
- April 2025: The transfer-portal window shapes the first wave of roster movement across Marist basketball.
- June 23, 2025: Men's basketball announces five newcomers for 2025-26.
- July 14, 2025: Women's basketball completes the 2025-26 roster with four additions.
- 2025-26 season: Both teams enter the year with clearly defined returner-plus-transfer roster models.
Roster snapshot
| Team | Most important newcomers | Core returners | Roster signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Men's basketball | Blackwell, Gabriel, McKenzie, Menard, Parker | Daughtry, Kawa, Lewis, Salton, Collins-Roberts, Schofield, Kabamba, Vlogianitis, Watson | More shooting, more size, more lineup flexibility |
| Women's basketball | Henry, Bretones, Bruschuk, Fischer | Tarul, Croker, Piddock, Tompkins, Corsentino, Egan, Robbins, Decker, Escanillas, Williamsen | Depth, versatility, and stronger chemistry |
What to watch next
The next meaningful question is not only who is on the Marist roster, but how quickly each staff turns that roster into a stable rotation once conference play begins. On the men's side, watch whether the new shooters unlock better spacing around the returning core, and on the women's side, watch whether the transfer mix translates into stronger rebounding and more consistent scoring support.
Everything you need to know about Marist Basketball Roster Changes Signal A Bigger Shift Ahead
Who is on the Marist basketball roster?
The 2025-26 Marist men's roster features nine returners and five newcomers, while the women's roster features 10 returners and four newcomers, as announced by Marist Athletics.
When did Marist finalize the roster?
Marist announced the men's additions on June 23, 2025, and completed the women's roster on July 14, 2025.
Why are the roster changes important?
The changes matter because they reveal how Marist is adapting to the transfer portal by filling specific needs with targeted players instead of making broad speculative moves.
Does Marist have a continuity advantage?
The women's team appears to have the stronger continuity profile with 10 returners, while the men balance nine returners with five newcomers after a 20-win season.
