St. Thomas Basketball: Tommies journey from D-III to the Summit League

The transfer portal has added depth

While the five guys being brought in by St. Thomas won’t wow you statistically, they don’t necessarily have to given the foundation that is returning for the Tommies. If they can fill in some holes and add to the depth of the team while the program gets its footing in the Summit League, it will have been a successful offseason.

Courtney Brown, Jr. who played at Milwaukee a year ago, may be the most seasoned of the five. The 6-7 Brown, Jr. returns to his home state of Minnesota after two seasons with Milwaukee where he averaged 5.4 points and 3.9 rebounds for the Panthers. Leighton Elliott-Sewell spent one year at Stony Brook where he played just 10 minutes per game.

The native of Derby, England played previously at Otero Junior College where he averaged a double-double. The 6-6 swingman should give the Tommies another body that is willing to crash the glass at the very least. Bennett Kwiecinski is looking for a fresh start after appearing in just nine games as a freshman at Siena.

After appearing in 57 games over his first two seasons at Minnesota, Jarvis Omersa saw action in just seven last year and opted for a chance at more playing time with St. Thomas. Finally, J’vonne Hadley heads back home to St. Paul after a freshman year at Northeastern where the 6-6 guard played in 13 games for six minutes per contest.

Making the jump from Division III straight to Division I will be a tall task for the Tommies, but with a rich tradition, a solid returning core and some newcomers who can help with the transition, college basketball’s newest team is ready to make a splash.