Ray Cuevas’ phone didn’t stop buzzing.
It was Feb. 25, and Cuevas – after two standout seasons at Division 3 Bowdoin – had just entered the NCAA transfer portal. He was fully prepared, tweeting out a three-minute highlight tape with his announcement that included his full season stats and contact information. Within minutes, his phone was flooded. Drexel called. Brown followed soon after.
Cuevas estimated that about 45-50 Division 1 schools reached out after he entered the portal. About a month later, on March 23, Cuevas committed to Brown as he realized his Division 1 dream.
It was a far cry from two years ago.
Then, Cuevas was coming off an All-NEPSAC season at the Pingree School. But his Div. 1 dream was stuck. He didn’t hold an offer as the season ended. The coaches who reached out to him this spring? He struggled to get responses from them when he called or messaged them two years ago. But Cuevas never felt sorry for himself. Instead, he accepted a Div. 3 opportunity, put his head down and worked and let the chips fall.
“Knowing in the back of my mind that it’s all going to work out in the end, I think it was just that mindset that helped me get through,” Cuevas said. “And to keep excelling and keep pushing towards the things I wanted.”
Cuevas’ story is proof that the Division 1 dream doesn’t have to be dead just because you didn’t get an opportunity out of high school. The same goes for Luke Soden, the former Phillips Exeter standout who excelled last season as a freshman at Division 2 Regis University in Colorado and earned himself a scholarship to Bucknell this spring.
In the era of the transfer portal – when it’s harder than ever for high school and prep players to be recruited to the Division 1 level – the path to college basketball’s top level is possible to get to from the Div. 2, 3 or JUCO. And Cuevas and Soden’s journeys showed that it might even be the most favorable pathway for recruits like them who were fringe Div. 1 talents coming out of prep school.
Early uncertainty
Soden, like many in his shoes, took the postgraduate route to improve his college recruitment outlook after a standout career at Bedford High School (N.H.), which included a state championship in 2023. He had an exceptional season at Phillips Exeter and landed on our All-Class A second team as he helped the Big Red reach the Class A final.
But when the season ended, Soden’s recruitment was low. He had a Div. 2 offer from the Colorado School of Mines, but nothing else. He held out hope for more before Regis came calling around the middle of May. He went out for a visit, liked the basketball and academic fit, and ultimately committed on May 31. But he admitted the process made him uneasy with so much uncertainty about his future.
“It was definitely stressful,” Soden said. “I think the one thing I did well was I stayed patient. It was hard for two months of no one really contacting me and I kind of went back and forth with my parents and coaches on whether I’m going to play college basketball, which was crazy. … I went to a camp early May, just to try to get something. Luckily (Regis) popped up, but it was good to stay patient through it. But definitely stressful. It’s hard when I had a good season and you don’t get the recognition that you necessarily want.”
Soden, like many, always dreamed of playing Div. 1 basketball. But reality started to set in around his sophomore year of high school, when he realized that finding the best fit for him was more important than focusing on the level.
“I definitely wanted to play scholarship basketball,” Soden said. “But just finding the right fit, somewhere where I can make an impact and maybe transfer like I did, but definitely wanted to find the right school. … I just thought I’m not going to focus so much on the name or what division it is, but instead if the coach wants me there, the big thing was good academics, set me up for a good life after college and things such as that.”
Cuevas didn’t experience a ton of stress as he navigated his situation, but the uncertainty still existed after his final game at Pingree. He didn’t get off to a favorable start. The summer before, Cuevas was injured during the live periods for the June NEPSAC Scholastic Showcases, and he felt he wasn’t at his full potential for the most important time of recruitment.
Cuevas admitted he was a smaller guard, his name wasn’t really out there and he described himself as a “late bloomer.” Add that all up and he was playing from behind.
But he was proactive. He knew he wanted to go to a high-academic college, and he said he applied to about 20-25 Div. 3 schools in case his pursuit of a scholarship fell short. He was accepted to several of those schools – including Bowdoin, Tufts and NYU – and knew those would be great options. But he kept working and exhausted every avenue of landing a scholarship.
Cuevas, an Ipswich, Mass. native, played out the spring on the grassroots circuit with Team White Mamba – which is becoming more common for unsigned seniors – but didn’t see any recruiting movement. He even played pickup with the players at Bentley – which he said was a dream school – but was told that they weren’t going in a different direction.
On June 12, Cuevas committed to Bowdoin. The Div. 1 dream wasn’t in the cards – yet.
“It was definitely a hard thing for me to come to grips with, because ever since I was little, I’ve wanted to play Division 1, I want to get a scholarship and play in college,” Cuevas said. “But people around me really explained that things happen for a reason.”
Taking the chance
While Soden and Cuevas both obviously would have loved to play Div. 1 basketball right away, they made the most of the opportunity they had.
Soden’s journey last season was unique. Shortly after his commitment to Regis, head coach Brady Bergeson left for another job. All of the team’s returning starters had departed, and a handful of players suffered injuries. Regis only won two games in a frustrating season, but it allowed Soden to have a huge individual opportunity to grow as a player and leader.
Soden led Regis in scoring with 17.6 points per game and shot 42.6 percent from 3-point range, which ranked 14th in the country in Div. 2. He also said he grew in his overall basketball IQ, understanding better how to read the game offensively and knowing where to be on defense.
“It was a tough year (as a team),” Soden said. “For me individually, I felt like it helped me grow a lot and I wouldn’t change anything I did.”
After a lot of consideration, Soden decided to enter the transfer portal on March 11 following the season. In about a week, the 6-foot-4 guard was receiving Division 1 interest. He visited Loyola Maryland, but there seemed to be a stronger connection with Bucknell. The coaching staff knew his former coaches with Exeter and the Middlesex Magic, had dived deep into his film and hopped on several calls. That consistent interest turned into an offer and an eventual commitment on April 2.
“I think they saw me in a very important role,” Soden said of his freshman season at Regis. “They liked how I played, they liked how I shot it. They needed guards, they had a lot of people graduating and transferring. … They saw a good fit.”
Cuevas experienced similar early success in a big role at Bowdoin. While there was disappointment in not landing a scholarship opportunity initially, he embraced his journey. He stayed in the gym and relied on the work. And he also played with a chip on his shoulder.
Cuevas kept the receipts. He had old emails, notes and text messages from coaches that doubted his ability, and hung them up in his room.
Said Cuevas: “Things like, ‘Oh I don’t know if he can shoot at a high clip,’ or ‘I don’t know if he’s fast enough, strong enough.’ ‘I don’t know if he’s quick enough.’ ‘Can he guard?’”
Cuevas was one of the best freshmen in Division 3. He started every game for Bowdoin, scored 15.5 points per game while shooting 38.3 percent from 3 and won NESCAC Rookie of the Year. The highlight of the winter? In his 13th collegiate game, Cuevas and Bowdoin went to Harvard and nearly pulled off an upset. The freshman scored 22 points on five 3-pointers and made a statement about his ability.
“I felt like it was the perfect way for me to show what I’ve always been about and what I’ve tried to do for the last few years,” Cuevas said. “Everything came to fruition. It was a perfect example of keep your head down and continue to work.”
Cuevas contemplated entering the transfer portal after his freshman season, and a coach at Brown later told him they probably would have offered him then if he did. But Cuevas wasn’t ready to leave Bowdoin just yet. It was important for him to return and go through another year of development and be more ready for the next level, and it was just as important for him to leave Bowdoin in a better place than he found it as a program.
Cuevas was even better across the board as a sophomore, leading Bowdoin with 22.2 points per game on 45.5 percent 3-point shooting as he earned NESCAC First Team honors. He was ready, and he credited that season – when he was the focal point of defenses every night – as a big reason why.
“The way my journey happened I think is what was meant for me,” Cuevas said. “The amount of development I had in my two years at Bowdoin just because of the people I was around and the focus I had with the coaching staff, I think it was just the best position for me. I think I was a fringe guy at the time, so say I did go to a Division 1 and I was fighting to get on the floor, it’s a little bit of a different situation than when you perform for two years and you have a resume and you do certain things and you earn that spot. You’re a focal point of these coaches. Especially as an older guy, teams are trying to get older, teams are trying to get older rosters. I think it was just the best scenario for me.”
Advice for future recruits
Soden and Cuevas both agreed – going to a lower level to begin their college careers, where they had ample playing opportunity to develop and grow, was instrumental in their path to Div. 1. It required swallowing some pride, but it was the right fit for them.
Soden added that going to school across the country in Colorado was a valuable personal experience beyond just basketball.
“I think just trust the process, find a school where you can make an impact,” Soden said. “Who knows, you might stay there, but find a place you can play … and then if there’s other opportunities and you have a good year, you can take that opportunity. But I would just work, stay patient and if you’re a good enough player, I feel like nowadays you’ll get recognized at any level.”
In today’s recruiting climate, Soden and Cuevas would both advise recruits going through a similar experience as they did to stay open-minded. They said that it’s easy to give in to the pressure, and force situations that may not be the best for them. But in both of their cases, they stayed patient, embraced an opportunity where they had full belief from their coaching staff and a chance to play. And now, they’re reaping the benefits.
“I think a lot of kids are going to see that if I can go somewhere early and play and really, really play … I mean, you see it at the high-major level, kids are deciding to go low major and then if they play really (well) their first or second year, they’re going to transfer up,” Cuevas said. “I think it’s the same thing in Division 3. If you’re a fringe guy and you go Division 3 and really play and really develop, then I think it’s a great opportunity to be able to transfer up and find a spot.
“Let it all happen and don’t force your way into things. I feel like people were always asking (me), ‘are you transferring?’ (and) I was in midseason. I’m like, ‘I don’t even know what I’m doing tomorrow. I’m really just trying to take it day by day.’ The biggest thing is take it day by day and just allow things to come to fruition. Because if you work hard, things happen for people who work hard.”
