Tony Felder Jr. discovered a lot in one year at Virginia Military Institute.
A newfound discipline, another layer of maturity and a baseline of confidence that he can, indeed, play Division 1 college basketball.
“It made me really love the game even more,” Felder Jr. said.
But after spending one season with VMI, the Brockton native entered his name in the transfer portal at the season’s end.
More:Felder Jr. makes a strong case for being the MIAA’s best point guard in state-title win
Where did he go, you ask? Home.
The 5-10 point guard announced on social media that he will continue his career at Stonehill College, Massachusetts’ newest Div. 1 institution just minutes down the road from his home city.
“Coming to Stonehill means the world to me,” Felder Jr. said. “Playing in front of my family and playing Division 1 basketball at home was always a dream of mine since I was a kid. So, being able to do that is a dream come true.”
Felder Jr. averaged 10.5 points, 3.2 assists and 2.1 rebounds in 27 minutes per game his freshman season. He started 28 of VMI’s 32 games, as the team went 7-25 this past season.
More:‘We belong’: Stonehill College men’s, women’s basketball teams finish first Div. 1 seasons
Stonehill wrapped up its first Div. 1 season with a 14-17 overall record and a noteworthy highlight of finishing second in the Northeast Conference (NEC) standings with a 10-6 league record, just behind the champion Merrimack (12-4).
Felder Jr. said that upon entering his name in the transfer portal, he heard from approximately 30 schools, including Boston College, with the new connection with Stonehill coach Chris Kraus being key in his decision-making process. NCAA policy states Kraus is not permitted to comment about Felder Jr.’s transfer at this time.
“I really liked Coach (Kraus). He gave me the opportunity,” Felder Jr. said. “He was real with me from the beginning. I feel like me and Coach really bonded together quickly. I was like, this is a perfect opportunity to come back home and show how far I’ve gotten.”
Felder Jr. attended West Middle School in Brockton for sixth grade, then he transferred to Davis Leadership Academy in Dorchester for his seventh and eighth grade years before he enrolled at Malden Catholic for high school.
Felder Jr. stamped his high school basketball career with a 38-point masterpiece that guided Malden Catholic to its first-ever Div. 2 state title at this time last year. After the game, head coach John Walsh declared Felder one of the state’s elite high school point guards and teammate K.C. Ugwuakazi, of Stoughton, backed Walsh’s remarks and doubled down by saying, “I’ve never played with any person more skilled or smart as him.”
This past year, despite being short of Felder Jr., Malden Catholic went 23-2 and cruised to a repeat win of the state title as the top seed in Div. 2.
“I wouldn’t trade the experience for the world. Winning a championship obviously meant a lot to me,” said Felder Jr. of the experience. “We had to do a lot to get Malden Catholic to where it is now.”
During his first collegiate season at VMI, Felder Jr. scored a career-best 22 points against Davidson on Nov. 13, just the third game of his career. Just three days before, he put up 20 points and 7 assists, an eventual season-high, against Penn State New Kensington on Nov. 10.
But now, he’s the newest Skyhawk with three more years of eligibility to play out.
“I’m a freshman right now, but I feel like playing-wise I’m a junior because of all the experience I’ve gotten as a freshman,” Felder Jr. said. “Just playing the game of basketball, learning every day and maturing very quickly playing Division 1 basketball has been great, to be honest.”
