Darren Payen, who received his release from Hofstra University less than a week ago, has found a home at the University of Vermont.
Payen will have to sit out a mandatory redshirt season and will have two remaining seasons of eligibility, starting with the 2015-16 season.
He averaged 3.1 points per game, grabbed 2.2 rebounds per game and played in all 33 games this past season for Joe Mihalich’s first season with the Pride.
Payen scored a career-high 12 points, grabbed a season-high six rebounds and blocked three shots against Fairleigh Dickinson to lead the Pride to an 80-58 victory, Mihalich’s first as Hofstra head coach.
The Milford, Connecticut native considered Vermont out of high school before taking Hofstra’s offer under then head coach Mo Cassara. Payen will take the scholarship of Harrison Taggart, who transferred out of the program after the season ended.
The Catamounts add a five man freshman class and will likely ink a sixth, a verbal commitment from Canadian Trae Bell-Haynes, during the April signing period.
Vermont won the America East regular season championship this past season, compiling a 15-1 record in league play, but graduate a six-man senior class that includes All America East First Team members Sandro Carissimo, Clancy Rugg and Brian Voelkel.
Ryan Restivo covers the America East conference, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Hofstra for Big Apple Buckets. You can follow Ryan on Twitter @ryanarestivo or contact Ryan at rrestivo[at]nycbuckets.com.
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