In the relatively recent incoming/outgoing aspect of rosters in college athletics with immediate eligibility from the transfer portal, East Carolina has overcome some significant departures from the 2023-24 basketball team.

Fresh faces in the program have helped the Pirates recover and move forward.

ECU went 15-18 overall and 7-11 in the American Athletic Conference last season. The exits of Ezra Ausar, Brandon Johnson, Kalib LaCount, Bobby Pettiford, Valentino Pinedo and Jaden Walker made it appear that the Pirate ship was in dire straits.

That group of players accounted for 48.4 of ECU’s 69.3 points per game, roughly 70 percent of the offensive production. The departures combined for 22.5 rebounds per game or 64.2 percent of the 35.0 per game team average.

Those numbers indicate there was a lot to replace but coach Mike Schwartz and staff got busy filling voids with signees including C.J. Walker from Central Florida, Jordan Riley from Temple, Yann Farell from St. Bonaventure and a pair from Indian River Community College, Jayshayne Woodard and Trevion LaBeaux.

The first-year transfers are scoring a combined 46.7 points per game with 23.8 rebounds. ECU has upped its scoring average as a team to 76.1 points per game. The rebounding rate has increased to 37.8.

Second-year transfer Cam Hayes, who played previously at N.C. State and LSU, is averaging 8.9 points and leads the team in assists with 4.0 per game.

R.J. Felton’s loyalty to the program makes him an anomaly by current standards. He was recruited by former coach Joe Dooley. Felton, a senior guard from Aiken, SC, is averaging 18.0 points, second to Walker (18.3) on the team. Felton leads ECU’s rebounding with 7.0 per game.

Coaches can’t recruit in terms of developing players for the future as might have been the case traditionally. Players with upside quickly become recruiting targets. Getting in the portal and shopping for program needs is the most viable option today. ECU has done an effective job in what amounts to a perceivable upgrade.

The players and coaches are to be credited for putting together a product that has benefitted from focus and unity with the degree of moving parts that have been involved in terms of personnel.

Circumstances that cause a player to leave a program can vary. Financial inducements certainly can play a role. Playing time or getting closer to home can impact a decision. Sometimes coaches may indicate to a player that they don’t figure prominently in future plans. Coaching changes also can prompt a change in scenery.

Tristen Newton’s decision to leave ECU after averaging 17.7 points as a junior in 2021-2022 has worked out well for him. He played on two NCAA champion teams at Connecticut and was Most Outstanding Player for the Huskies in the NCAA Tournament last season. He is currently the No. 3 point guard on Minnesota’s roster in the NBA.

Ausar also is prospering in a new environment, averaging 11.4 points and 4.8 rebounds in 21.6 minutes per game as a junior for Utah, which is 15-11 overall and 7-8 in the Big 12. He averaged 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds last season for the Pirates — virtually identical numbers in 26.2 minutes per contest.

Johnson scored 14.0 points and grabbed a team-high 8.6 rebounds at ECU in 2023-2024 before transferring to Miami of Florida, where his production has diminished. The Hurricanes have struggled to a 6-20 mark and are last in the ACC at 2-13 as Johnson has averaged 7.8 points and 6.6 rebounds.

Pinedo is averaging 10.6 points and 6.6 rebounds for St. Francis (PA), which is 10-17 overall and 5-8 in the Northeast Conference going into a game at Le Moyne on Thursday night.

Pettiford has found a niche at High Point, which is 24-5 overall and 12-2 in the Big South Conference. He is averaging 8.6 points for the Panthers and tops the team in assists at 3.2.

LaCount appears to be flourishing in his new home. The 5-feet, 8-inch Los Angeles native is at Cal Poly Humboldt, where he is averaging 11.8 points and a team-high 4.4 assists for the Division II Lumberjacks, who are 14-9 overall and 10-8 in the California Collegiate Athletic Associatuon.

Some players stay on the move.

Jaden Walker, who played two seasons at ECU after starting his career at Iowa State, has resurfaced at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, where he is averaging 4.9 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 19.4 minutes per game. The Islanders are 17-11 on the season and 10-6 in the Southland Conference.

Javon Small went to Oklahoma State after spending two seasons at ECU and is now at West Virginia, where he is leading the Mountaineers in scoring at 18.5 per game.

Roster movement is at an unprecedented high and gives new meaning to an old adage. It’s still next man up even if the next man up may not presently be on campus.

For the time being, the Pirates have three straight home games coming up, starting with a visit from Texas-San Antonio on Sunday at 2 p.m.

ECU (15-12, 7-7 AAC) is in contention for its first winning season since going 23-12 in 2012-2013 as members of Conference USA. Prominent transfers on that team included Miguel Paul (Missouri), Akeem Richmond (Rhode Island), Maurice Kemp (Alabama A&M, Miami Dade) and Ty Armstrong (Auburn).