Tulsa Basketball Adds Nine Newcomers to 2025-26 Roster

TULSA, Okla. –– The Golden Hurricane men's basketball program has had a busy spring with the additions of eight transfers and a JUCO product. Miles Barnstable, Ade Popoola, Myles Rigsby, Tylen Riley, Doryan Onwuchekwa, Terrance Ford Jr., David Green, Carter Benton and Romad Dean have all been signed to next season's roster.

College basketball analytics expert Evan Miyakawa has Tulsa's eight player transfer class as the second-best this offseason among the American Athletic Conference teams. The website ranks Tulsa's overall transfer activity 37^th in the NCAA.

"We're very excited about this year's team," head coach Eric Konkol said. "This spring has been a whirlwind of finding and signing these nine guys. There were a number of qualities that we were looking for from the very beginning. We wanted high-energy guys who are competitive, motivated and guys who we saw potential in. We feel as if the versatility, the athleticism, size and length of this group is a real positive and something that we're really excited about."

Barnstable is an incoming senior 6'2" guard from the University of St. Thomas, where he played this past season. As a junior, he was selected to the 2024-25 Summit League First Team and Newcomer Team. Barnstable started all 34 games and led the team in scoring, averaging 14.7 points per contest alongside 3.3 rebounds. He shot 44.3 percent from the floor and 34.2 percent on 3-pointers and 86.5 percent on free throws, breaking 20 points eight times and scoring a season-high 30 against North Dakota (Jan. 4).

Prior to St. Thomas, Barnstable played two seasons at UW-Whitewater. The Sheboygan, Wis., native was a WIAC All-Conference First Team selection both his years with UW-Whitewater and was named to the 2023-24 NABC All-District Second Team as a sophomore. In his freshman campaign, Barnstable led Warhawks to an NCAA Division III Final Four, upsetting five ranked teams and averaging 22 points in the tournament run. He averaged 17.0 points with shooting clips of 47.8 percent from the floor, 40.3 from 3-point range and 87.1 percent at the line in his two seasons.

"We are very excited about Miles," Konkol said. "We share the same home state, and he played Division III basketball in the same league that I played in. He's someone who I have followed his career, and to see what he did this past year at St. Thomas in a really good program is very impressive. He's a tough competitor, he's got long arms, he's athletic and he's really efficient. He is a hard worker and someone so motivated to continue to improve. We're excited about the versatility he provides, as well as his ability to play on the ball and off the ball and attack at all three levels."

A 6'5" guard from Moberly Area Community College, Popoola is ranked as the No. 7 JUCO transfer in the country by Rivals, and 11^th best per JucoRecruiting.com. The incoming junior appeared in 54 games across two seasons with the Greyhounds, making 30 starts, all this past season.

He saw a massive jump in production from his freshman to sophomore years, going from 3.8 to 18.6 points per game. The St. Louis, Mo., native also pulled down 9.8 rebounds per contest and dished out 2.8 assists. He had shooting clips of 49 percent from the floor, 46.5 on 3-pointers and he knocked down 82.5 percent of his free throw attempts. He scored in double figures in 28 contests, 20 or more 12 times and recorded at least 30 in three games.

"Ade comes here with a proven skillset at a high level of junior college basketball," Konkol said. "He played at a tremendous program in Moberly, coached by Pat Smith. He experienced a lot of winning. He's got a beautiful jump shot and he can really rebound. He's got super long arms and we think he has great potential to add strength and weight. But he has a weapon of shooting the basketball. With his length, we also think he has the potential to be a high-level defender."

Rigsby is a 6'6" forward who spent the first two seasons of his career at Troy. The incoming junior averaged 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 27.1 minutes per contest, making 64 appearances with 54 starts.

In his sophomore campaign, Rigsby played in 33 games and made 29 starts, playing the second-most minutes on the team and averaging 28.2 minutes per contest. His 12.2 points per game were second on the squad, with shooting clips of 45.8 percent from the floor and 79.8 percent from the free throw line. He recorded 4.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 steals while helping the Trojans to a 23-11 record, a Sun Belt Tournament Championship and Troy's first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017.

"Myles Rigsby is an attacking big guard," Konkol said. "That's something we saw even in high school in Fort Worth. He was really well-coached at Troy by Scott Cross, also earning a share of last season's regular season championship in the Sun Belt before going on to win the conference tournament and earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. He's a double-figure scorer and someone who has a tremendous skillset at getting fouled and making free throws. That is something we were really looking for, someone who can get to the paint and create for himself and others."

Riley is an incoming 6'3" junior guard who played his first two seasons at California Baptist in Riverside, Calif. He made 51 appearances with 13 starts for the Lancers, averaging 4.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.4 assists.

As a sophomore, Riley played in 24 contests and started the final nine games of the season, averaging 7.5 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists. He averaged 13 points per game as a starter and scored a career-high 25 points against Grand Canyon (Feb. 8) that pushed him into the starting lineup. He had seven double figure scoring games and eclipsed 20 points on two occasions.

Prior to Cal Baptist, Riley was a prep player at Durango High School in his hometown of Las Vegas. He was a three-time First Team All-Nevada selection, ranked the No. 2 player out of Nevada in his class and a Gatorade Player of the Year nominee.

"Tylen is someone who really improved as his college career went on at Cal Baptist, "Konkol said. "This past season, he was provided an opportunity and really took advantage of it. He was a double-figure scorer in the last third of that season. He had some really big games and moments in some key wins. He's a guy who can play on the ball, off the ball. He has long arms and big hands. We see him as a very good defender in a number of different positions. He is a guy who can play numerous roles for us."

Onwuchekwa checks in at 6-foot 11 inches and joins Tulsa after his freshman season at Georgia Tech. The center played in 10 games, eight as a starter, averaging 4.9 points and 5.1 rebounds in 18.2 minutes per contest. Onwuchekwa scored a season-high seven points alongside 11 rebounds against Georgia. He turned it over just four times in 181 minutes of action.

A former three-star prospect out of Dallas, Texas, he played his prep ball at Faith Family Academy of Oak Cliff, helping the team to a 118-24 record in his high school career. The Eagles were state champions in three of his seasons and he averaged 16 points and 10 rebounds as a senior, earning a McDonald's All-American game nomination. Onwuchekwa was ranked No. 112 nationally by 247 Sports, No. 19 at his position and No. 7 overall in Texas.

"Doryan is somebody we have been familiar with for a long time," Konkol said. "He came to an Elite Camp a few years ago and has continued to grow. He has a lot of family ties here in Tulsa. His grandmother lives in a house that's been in their family since the late '40s here in North Tulsa. He has great size, he has touch, he has feel. He's a guy who has worked really on hard on his body the past couple of years. We are really excited that he's come back to this region and to where he has so much family. We are also excited about the type of potential he has to help us this year."

Ford Jr. comes to Tulsa following a redshirt sophomore campaign at Arkansas State. In his career with the Red Wolves, Ford appeared in 69 games with 47 starts, averaging 9.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists.

This past season, he was a Sun Belt Conference All-Tournament selection, helping ASU to a 25-11 record, a conference tournament championship game appearance and an NIT berth. The Chicago native played in 35 contests with 31 starts, shooting 42.4 percent from the floor and averaging 9.0 points to go with 2.9 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He paced the conference in both assist/turnover ratio (2.33) and total assists (170), and in league play, Ford. Jr. averaged a conference-leading 6.28 assists per game.

He made an immediate impact as a true freshman in 2022-23, knocking down 41 3-pointers at a team-best 40.6 percent rate. The guard averaged 10.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists while recording 1.3 steals to pace the team. He missed all but two games of his sophomore season with an injury, redshirting the 2023-24 campaign.

"T-Ford is an exciting playmaking guard," Konkol said. "He's a guy who averaged five assists a game last year and shot over 40 percent from 3-point range. He has what we call City Game. He comes from Chicago where the ball is on a string, and he has really good command. He's competed at a high level, winning a share of the conference championship last season at Arkansas State. He knows what this is supposed to look like and the type of things that go into winning high-level basketball games."

Green links back up with Konkol for his final collegiate season after transferring from Rhode Island. Konkol recruited and coached Green in his covid freshman year at Louisiana Tech after the 6'7" forward transferred from Hofstra. Green has scored more than 1,000 career points in 105 games, shooting 45 percent from the floor and 38.5 from long range.

In two seasons at Rhode Island, Green amassed 662 points and 239 rebounds, averaging 14.4 and 5.2 per game, respectfully. He also shot the ball well, knocking down nearly 47 percent of his field goals and was 43.1 percent on 3-pointers, the latter tied for third-best in program history.

He was a team captain in 2024-25 as a senior, appearing and starting in 28 games for the Rams and averaging 14.2 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. The Apopka, Fla. native scored a season-high 28 points at Massachusetts (3/1), a point below his career-high 29 he scored at George Mason a season prior. Green scored in double figures in 19 games his senior campaign, breaking into the 20s five times.

He came off the bench in all 34 contests his freshman season at LA Tech under Coach Konkol, leading the reserves with 7.2 points per contest. He scored in double figures six times and led the team in scoring on three occasions. Despite not starting, he averaged 20.3 minutes per contest to help the Bulldogs reach the Conference USA Tournament Championship Game. He played six games with two starts in his sophomore year before his season ended. As a true freshman at Hofstra, Green made eight starts and 18 appearances, averaging 3.1 points and 1.7 rebounds.

"David is, of course, someone that we know very well," Konkol said. "We recruited him out of high school and coached him his redshirt freshman year. He's someone we have cheered for from afar. He's a guy who, at 6'7", 225 pounds, is a unique player in that he can score inside and out. He played his last few seasons of college basketball at Rhode Island and shot 43 percent from three, making 90 threes over those two years. He just does a little bit of everything. He's very competitive and has an edge about him that is such a positive for us. Really excited to coach David again."

A local product, Benton comes home to TU after a freshman season at the University of Pacific in Stockton, California. A 6'4" guard, the incoming sophomore saw action in 19 games for the Tigers in his first collegiate season. He knocked down 12 3-pointers and averaged 2.1 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.6 assists in 10.7 minutes per game. He scored a season-high nine points at Portland on Jan. 16.

A graduate of Holland Hall, Benton averaged 19 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals as a senior. He shot 48 percent from 3-point range, setting the school record for most made triples in a season. Carter was Holland Hall's second-leading scorer, 5A District 4 MVP, OCA 5A All-Star and an all-state selection his senior year. His 1,439 career points is second-most all-time for the Dutch.

"Carter is someone we were aware of who had a special prep career at Holland Hall, coached by Teddy Owens," Konkol said. "He played his freshman year at Pacific and played in games and was productive for them. He's another guy who has a tremendous work ethic. He's put on a lot of strength in that freshman year, and he's someone we think can help us in a number of ways – from the work he puts in, to the type of person he is. We are very happy Carter is here with us."

Dean is an incoming senior forward who had played his first three seasons of collegiate basketball at Fordham. The Freeport, Grand Bahamas native played in 99 contests for the Rams and made 47 starts, averaging 4.5 points on 43.1 percent shooting, and 3.6 rebounds.

In his junior season in in New York, Dean appeared in all 33 games, making 32 starts. He had career highs in most stats, including 6.9 points per game and a team-best 5.6 rebounds per contest. He knocked down 38 3-pointers, second-most on the team, and finished in double figures for scoring 10 times. Dean scored a career-high 16 points and recorded four steals to lead the Rams to a win over Maine on December 8.

Prior to joining Fordham, he was a graduate from Crestwood Prep in Toronto, Canada, where he averaged better than 20 points and 18 rebounds as a senior. He helped lead the Lions to a semifinals appearance of the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association championship and earned OSBA Third Team All-Star honors. Dean has also represented his home country at the national level, helping the Bahamas U17 team earn a bronze medal at the 2019 Centrobasket Championship. Dean played 39 minutes and had an 18-point, 13-rebound double-double to help secure an 85-83 win over the Dominican Republic in the third-place game.

"Romad comes to Tulsa with great experience," Konkol said. "In the Atlantic-10, he averaged seven points and six rebounds. He's an energy guy who can make open threes, shotting better than 33-percent last year. But he also has great versatility defensively. We see him being able to guard one through five if needed. He's a junkyard dog type of defender and player in general. He has tremendous energy about him, which will be a big part of the impact he makes on this program."

The nine additions join returning The American All-Freshman selection Ian Smikle, Tyler Behrend, Cal Conroy, redshirt freshman KJ Martin and fall signee freshman Jaylen Lawal on next season's team. Tulsa's roster stands at 14 heading into the summer.

Tulsa Basketball Spring Signees

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown/Previous School
Miles Barnstable	G	6-2	180	Sr	Sheboygan, Wis./St. Thomas
Carter Benton	G	6-4	205	Fr	Tulsa, Okla./Pacific
Romad Dean	F	6-7	210	Sr	Freeport, Grand Bahamas/Fordham
David Green	F	6-7	225	Gr	Apopka, Fla./Rhode Island
Terrance Ford Jr.	G	6-1	177	R-Jr	Chicago, Ill./Arkansas State
Doryan Onwuchekwa	C	6-11	240	So	Dallas, Texas/Georgia Tech
Ade Popoola	G	6-5	200	Jr	St. Louis, Mo./Moberly Area, CC
Myles Rigsby	F	6-6	190	Jr	Fort Worth, Texas/Troy
Tylen Riley	G	6-3	190	Jr	Las Vegas, Nev./Cal Baptist

Tulsa Basketball Fall Signees

Name	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Class	Hometown/Previous School
Jaylen Lawal	G	6-3	195	Fr	Plano, Texas/Ischool of Lewisville
KJ Martin	F	6-8	225	Fr	Tampa, Fla./The Rock School

Tulsa Basketball Adds Nine Newcomers to 2025-26 Roster

Players Mentioned

Tyler Behrend

Cal Conroy

Ian Smikle

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