Mariella Fasoula put in a respectable showing in her two seasons at Boston College. This past season, she led the team in scoring and rebounds, but the Eagles will have to find a new leader in both those categories next year. Fasoula announced her intent to transfer a few months ago, and on Tuesday night, her new destination was confirmed: Vanderbilt.
Fasoula will be ineligible to play next year because of the transfer rule. The 6-foot-4-inch center can resume her athletic duties in the 2018-19 season, and will have two years of eligibility left.
Fasoula’s credentials were slowly building at Boston College. She made the All-ACC Freshman Team a year ago. As a sophomore, she ranked 9th in the ACC in scoring and 10th in rebounds. Fasoula also recorded five double-doubles.
Unfortunately, Boston College failed to break the .500 mark in the two years that Fasoula was part of the program, including a 9-21 campaign in the 2016-17 season.
If the lack of wins factored into Fasoula’s decision to transfer, Vanderbilt may seem like an odd fit. They posted a 14-16 record last year and finished 13th in the Southeastern Conference, going 4-12 in conference play. However, the Commodores are in the midst of a retooling effort with Stephanie White at the helm, and program makeovers at the college level require a good deal of time to complete.
Fasoula’s addition, although delayed, gives Vanderbilt an extra bit of height in the post. Nobody on last year’s roster was taller than 6’1″. While the Commodores have to wait for Fasoula, immediate help is on the way. Their 2017 recruiting class includes Autumn Newby, a forward who was ranked in the top 100 by ESPN HoopGurlz.