PORTLAND, Ore. – University of Portland men's basketball has signed UW-Milwaukee graduate transfer Joey St. Pierre to a financial aid agreement, head coach Shantay Legans announced on Wednesday. St. Pierre comes to The Bluff with one year of eligibility remaining.

The 6-10, 255-pound center started 30 games for the Panthers last season and averaged 6.3 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game. He shot an efficient 59 percent from the field – seventh best in program history – and was second in the Horizon League with 1.4 blocked shots per game.

The Spring Grove, Ill. native finished the year strong by averaging 12.7 points and 8.3 rebounds in the final three games including a 16-point, 10-rebound effort in a Horizon League Tournament loss to Illinois-Chicago.

"Joey is going to be a great fit within our program, on campus and in the community," Legans said. "He is smart, has a great motor and is effective in the post. His combination of size and skill translates well to our league and he'll provide a mature and experienced front-line presence."

St. Pierre transferred to Milwaukee after a stellar three-year stint at UW-Parkside (Division II). He redshirted the 2017-18 season before starting 52 games and appearing in 55 total contests in his two active seasons with the Rangers.

St. Pierre averaged 9.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots per game at Parkside. He also shot better than 60 percent from the field overall and ranked 14th nationally in blocked shots per game (2.1) during the 2019-20 season.

"It was a great visit and I loved the program culture," St. Pierre said of his decision to commit to Portland. "The positive energy from the coaches and players was infectious and I loved the competitive atmosphere. I think I'll help the team with my offensive and defensive presence on the block and ability to kick out and create for shooters. I want to come in, play with grit and bring a lot of energy."

St. Pierre is the third newcomer announced to join the 2022-23 roster. Freshmen Bol Dengdit and Juan Sebastian Gorosito previously signed National Letters of Intent and all three will come to campus this Summer.

The Pilots are set to return the top six scorers and all major contributors from the 19-win team that Legans put together for his first year on The Bluff. Portland recorded the first postseason win at the NCAA level and matched the fourth-most wins in a season since joining the Division I ranks in 1958. Other highlights included a road win against NCAA Tournament participant San Francisco, a 7-7 West Coast Conference record, and a six-game win streak late in the season.