Ivy Madness is coming to Providence next spring. Will Brown basketball be part of it?

• Brown will host Ivy Madness — the Ivy League's postseason tournament — next season in Providence.
• Brown caught fire at the perfect time last season, winning seven straight games to break into the top four of the league standings and reach the title game at Columbia.
• Nana Owusu-Anane was the question mark after a shocking entry into the portal, but his subsequent pledge to return offers a major boost.

The Ivy League isn’t immune to the modern realities of college sports.

The transfer portal and the growth of name, image and likeness rights have eclipsed the promise of a prestigious four-year degree in some cases. There have been some high-profile men’s basketball departures this offseason and Brown was among the programs affected.

Kalu Anya has left the Bears after two years and will enjoy a reunion of sorts at Saint Louis. Brown retained another frontcourt standout and pulled in a transfer from the Division II ranks to help shape its 2024-25 roster, one that will look to reach Ivy Madness on its home floor.

The Bears caught fire at the perfect time last season. They won seven straight games to break into the top four of the league standings and reach the title game at Columbia. A last-second defeat against Yale was all that prevented Brown from a first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1986.

More:For Brown's Mike Martin, reaching postseason was a longtime dream come true.

Will there be healing next spring? Kino Lilly Jr., Lyndel Erold and AJ Lesburt all started that critical game against the Bulldogs — they'll continue with the Bears. Lilly has a real chance to claim league Player of the Year honors after establishing himself as one of its top performers.

Nana Owusu-Anane was the question mark after a shocking entry into the portal, but his subsequent pledge to return offers a major boost. He’s a captain, the team’s leading rebounder and a nightly double-double threat who reportedly received interest from the likes of Arizona State, Virginia Tech, Florida, Seton Hall, BYU, Clemson and others. That he could earn meaningful minutes for those power programs makes clear just how important it was for Brown to bring him back.

Erold’s defensive presence and Lesburt’s perimeter shooting injected some life into a Bears lineup that opened just 6-17 overall. Brown coach Mike Martin and his staff reached a breaking point and showed some mettle while making major changes. Aaron Cooley dropped into an energy role off the bench while seniors Kimo Ferrari and Malachi Ndur played some of the best basketball of their respective careers as reserves.

Anya couldn’t be sold on a return. He’ll join the Billikens and former Bears assistant coach Antone Gray, who arrives from Indiana State. Josh Schertz was hired away from the Sycamores as head coach and a deep NIT run last year could be just a springboard for what that staff might do in the Atlantic 10.

There will be some gaps to fill and Brown has made a couple of noteworthy attempts to address them. Jacob Dar will enroll from Emory & Henry with two years remaining — he averaged 15.4 points and 5.8 rebounds off the wing for the Wasps last season. Point guard Jeremiah Jenkins could make an immediate impact as a top-200 national prospect from powerful Brewster Academy.

More:Here are the latest comings and goings on the local college basketball scene.

The Bears and their fellow league members don’t have the luxury of taking on the most experienced talent. Ndur will spend a COVID fifth year at William & Mary — fellow graduates such as Princeton wing Zach Martini (Rutgers), Princeton forward Matt Allocco (Notre Dame), Penn guard Clark Slajchert (USC), Dartmouth forward Dusan Neskovic (Richmond) and Harvard forward Justice Ajogbor (Saint Joseph’s) have all landed in comparable or superior conferences. Groups such as Lilly, Erold, Owusu-Anane and Cooley will stand out for their veteran nature.

Anya joined Yale center Danny Wolf (Michigan), Crimson guard Malik Mack (Georgetown) and Quakers guard Tyler Perkins (Villanova) in finding a potentially higher-profile home for next season. Harvard forward Chisom Okpara remains in the transfer portal and still could depart. All were candidates to land on an all-conference team at the close of 2024-25.

Brown has tasted the league’s final weekend — that could be home cooking the next time. Pizzitola Center will welcome the four-team men’s and women’s fields in March, with the Bulldogs looking to defend their men’s crown. Time will tell if the Bears have put themselves in position to avoid another heartbreak.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25