“How those guys carry themselves in our gym, they’re almost like new people and new players because they have this new sense of responsibility. It’s a turning of the page, and they have a runway to develop and grow,” Sargent said.
“The six guys who are here, I couldn’t be happier with the work they’re putting in.”
With the team’s top four scorers having left for other schools, that hearty half-dozen will be expected to become primary offensive threats next season.
That is, unless the three transfer portal signees so far are ready to take over the scoring load.
Sargent announced he’s landed two more pick-ups in the last three days to go along with Merrimack transfer Bryan Etumnu, a 6-7 forward.
Dominic Pangonis (pronounced Pan-go-niss), a 6-7 guard from Toronto, played as a freshman last season at Stephen F Austin, which finished 14-17. He was sixth in scoring (6.2 average) and third in assists (1.5).
He appeared in all 31 games, averaging 21.4 minutes off the bench.
Sam Alamutu (All-uh-moo-too), a 6-5 guard from Vermont, will be taking his final season of eligibility with the Raiders.
He was part of three NCAA tourney teams from 2022-24, though the first was as a redshirt player.
He logged 22 minutes and notched two points and a team-high seven rebounds in a first-round loss to Duke in 2024.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
He made a brief appearance in a loss to Marquette in the 2023 tourney, getting two points and one rebound.
The Catamounts went 21-12 last season.
He played in 33 games with 19 starts in 2024-25, averaging 5.6 points and 6.5 rebounds.
He had 21 boards against Maine and reached double-figure rebounds seven times.
He played in 35 games with two starts in 2023-24 and reached his career high in scoring 23 points.
Sargent, who wants to sign one more transfer, has credited the veteran Raiders for playing a role in the recruiting success.
“Their hearts for bringing in some new guys, knowing they need to be accepting and understanding of how we need to build this thing from day one — all of that has been very healthy,” he said.
Without addressing the financial arrangements with the newcomers, Sargent said the transfer market has only gotten more chaotic in the four years since the NIL and no-sit transfers were approved in 2021.
The top programs are engaged in mega-bidding wars, and even mid-majors have to be prepared to at least match offers with their peers.
The challenge, though, is knowing who to trust.
“We’ve just tried to educate ourselves on the market. It’s all word of mouth. We’re trying to figure out what’s real and what’s not and talk to as many people throughout the business of it — high-major coaches, low-major coaches — trying to figure out what people are doing,” Sargent said.
The 36-year-old Sargent is determined not to get outworked, though he’s still adapting to the new world. He never thought getting to a recruit would require going through an agent first.
“It used to be the student-athlete, their high school coach, AAU coach and parents. And from that, you got a pretty good idea about a kid. That’s the new part of it. A large majority have an agent now,” he said.
About the Author