By Alyson Lawrence, Staff Writer
When the Newman University men’s basketball team hits the court for its first game this fall, it will do so with almost a brand new team.
Last year, it appears in early January, head coach RJ Allen dismissed four players from the team: senior Brandon Wilson, sophomore Jayden Schoen, junior redshirt Devin Walker and junior Trae Clayton. Nearly every other member of last year’s team either left Newman, entered the transfer portal or graduated.
Only five players from last year’s roster, which listed 17 players, will return this year. Among them are sophomore Kobe Freeman, who played 535 minutes over 28 games last year, and redshirt freshman Will Farrington, who played 52 minutes over seven games last year.
The other three returners are redshirt seniors Majok Majouk and Mike Quick Jr. and redshirt freshman Abraham Tomori. None have yet seen playing time on the team.
Allen, who has been Newman’s head basketball coach since 2017, did not return multiple emails and a phone call from The Vantage seeking an interview about the team.
Wilson, who now is playing basketball professionally in the Philippines for the Zamboanga SiKat, was a star of last year’s team and the scoring leader. He played in 13 games and scored 123 points, averaging 9.5 per game, before being dismissed in January.
Schoen, now a junior, is now playing basketball at Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Alva. Walker is now working on a master’s degree at Bridgewater College in Virginia. It’s unclear where Clayton landed after leaving Newman.
Wilson recalled during a recent phone interview with The Vantage being let go from the team.
He said he did not want to share specific details.
“A lot of confusion went through my head after this decision was made,” he said. “ I was left with a lot of questions unanswered as I was accused of some things that were absolutely untrue.”
Wilson, a junior who transferred to Newman from Oklahoma City University in 2025, said he had a hard time grasping the reasoning behind the decision, especially because he was in the middle of his senior year.
“My experience at Newman was interesting,” Wilson said. “It almost felt like a fever dream. Basketball-wise, my experience was not the best overall. But I took away many good relationships, and my roommates made up for it.”
Wilson stayed at Newman and graduated with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.
“I’m not in control of how things work,” he said, “and truth be told, had I not been removed, I may not have had the opportunity that I do now.”
Of the returning players, Freeman has the most experience playing for the Jets. In his first year as a Jet, he played in 28 games starting in eight and scoring 151 points.
This year, he said, he hopes to take on a bigger role for the team and help the new squad lay a foundation.
“Going into this year as a returner, there’s definitely challenges, like getting almost a whole new team,” he said. “But Coach Allen is leaning on me to help be a leader.”
Despite the changes, this year’s team is looking forward to building something special as a new group and has pinned its hopes on making it to the MIAA tournament.
“Not only do we want to make the tournament, but we want to win it,” Freeman said. “We aren’t settling this year.”
Among the players Allen recruited for this year’s team: Kaeden Bonner, a senior guard who transferred from the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth; his younger brother, KaeVon Bonner, a freshman guard from Topeka Seaman High School; and Leslie Owens, a junior forward who transferred from Cowley Community College.
With so much change, Freeman said, every player is focused on building connections on and off the court.
“I know we’ve only known each other a couple weeks” Freeman said, “but we already feel connected as a team. We try to do team dinner a couple times a week and do activities like Top Golf and make sure everyone has a good time.”
Now, with a new season just ahead, the Jets are hoping to turn the chemistry they’ve built off the court into results.
“We’re ready to change the narrative on Newman men’s basketball and show people that we’re coming to turn heads and surprise people this year,” Freeman said.
PHOTO: Newman Athletics, courtesy
