By Kevin Sweeney

Bryant’s solid young core has taken a hit.

High-scoring sophomore guard Nisre Zouzoua has elected to transfer from the school, per Evan Daniels of scout.com. The 6-2 Zouzoua, who hails from just outside of Boston, will have 2 years of eligibility remaining after he sits out the 2017-18 season in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. 

Zouzoua profiles as a shooting guard with the ability to knock down threes in bunches. He made almost 3 triples per game this season en route to leading the NEC in scoring at 20.3 points per game. For his efforts, he was selected for first team all-conference honors. He’s also a good perimeter defender who averaged 1.5 steals per game this season. 

The loss is certainly a big one for Bryant, a team expected to compete for an NEC title next season. Without Zouzoua, all-rookie team selection Adam Grant will have to bear even more of a scoring load during his sophomore campaign. However, it’s not a surprising departure given the recent history of the NEC. Stars like Cane Broome (Sacred Heart), Rodney Pryor (Robert Morris), and Marcquise Reed (Robert Morris) have all departed the conference looking for more exposure and a better opportunity to play professionally. If these previous NEC stars are any indication, Zouzoua will have a long list of suitors from the highest levels of college basketball.