UNCW Transfers Start of Wild Offseason of Movement
Rule change, extra eligibility will mean record transfers in college hoops
The writing has been on the wall since December that UNCW would see multiple departures via the transfer portal, but it was no less surprising on Monday afternoon when Jake Boggs, Imajae Dodd, Joe Pridgen and Brian Tolefree announced their decisions on a matter of hours.
Both Boggs (10.3 points, 3.9 rebounds) and Dodd, who will have up to three years remaining, should have plenty of opportunities as both proved capable of producing against CAA competition, but ultimately, neither was an ideal fit for the role they’d be asked to play in Coach Takayo Siddle’s system.
Tolefree, who arrived as a junior college transfer, will have one year remaining and could have appeal as a big, athletic defender.
Pridgen’s (12.1 points, 8.2 rebounds) departure is the most concerning, as the sophomore big man had set the tone for the Seahawks with toughness. Despite standing only 6-6, Pridgen was a force around the basket thanks to his lower-body strength and quickness, often beating bigger defenders with his speed or overpowering smaller ones.
UNCW posted a statement from Siddle on Monday afternoon.
“As we move forward to next season, it is inevitable changes will occur. This happens with every program. Some individuals will be moving on and we wish them the very best in their future endeavors and thank them for their contributions as Seahawks. We’re excited about our returning players and will welcome several newcomers in 2021-22 as we continue to build a championship culture and return this program to the top of the CAA.”
A look at the current roster, along with the departure of John Bowen, who will look to begin a graduate program elsewhere and might continue playing basketball.
Given the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA, all players in the above chart remain in their same classes with the option for the 2020-21 seniors to play one more season with their scholarships not counting against the limit of 13.
No announcements have been made regarding the future of those three players next season, though Siddle did make reference to his excitement for seeing Mike Okauru and Shykeim Phillips play together next season.
Based on the current situation of:
Former walk-on Brent Jenkins remains on scholarship.
JaJuan Carr, who didn’t play in 20-21, returns next season.
All recruits enroll.
Then, nine scholarships are taken and UNCW could add up to four more players to the roster.
Obvious, the most glaring issue on the roster is finding a couple of big men that fit into the system with a preference toward experience.
Speaking during his radio show in February, Siddle made it clear that UNCW would recruit the portal hard.
“Absolutely. I’m looking forward to it. We definitely have to get a little bit older, so the transfer portal can be good for us and we’re going to be really aggressive when it comes out.”
He was also clear in what he’d be looking for, mentioning 6-2, 205-pound Delaware guard Ryan Allen (15.3 points):
A guy like (Delaware guard) Ryan Allen who can go get his own, I think we need a couple more guys like that; need to beef up on the inside, get tougher guys. We have a solid foundation that we can build on and I like some guys off this roster, for sure, we just need to beef up a little bit on the inside and go get some more guys that can go get it off the bounce and get their own.
Guys that I have recruited that maybe went to other places that maybe aren’t playing as much or playing at all at their universities right now that we’ll keep our eye on. Make sure that if they do come up n the transfer portal, we’ll be ready to re-recruit them and try to get them onboard. You just have to be creative and be ready to attack when the time comes.
During that same radio show, he also specifically praised Hofstra freshman forward, the 6-6, 205-pound Kvonn Cramer (9.1 points, 6.7 rebounds):
We have to find us a guy like that. He’s everything that I love; he’s tough, he’s athletic, he can play multiple positions, he can step out and do some things on the perimeter. He’s another-level player. In my opinion, he’s a high-major player and an elite-level, NBA-level athlete, without a doubt.
So, where to from here?
Lately, every spring has seen an unprecedented amount of movement in college hoops.
With transfers no longer forced to sit for one season, plus the roster crunches created by COVID-19, this spring will turn into a de facto free agency period for college basketball.
On Monday alone, Verbal Commits added 42 players to its transfer list, which is already up to 276 names.
Given how that’s gone over the past several years, the list could end up near 1,000 names this season, and that’s not even considering the recruits who will ultimately change their destination based on coaching changes or how roster changes might alter what they’re looking for in a program.
Siddle’s recruiting credentials are well-known, but a major benefit for UNCW could be Kurt Kanaskie, whose 40 years in college hoops give him ties all over the nation — most recently spending time at Air Force.
It’s going to be a wild few months, and by the time the dust settles, a few programs will have given their rosters complete makeovers.
Now, We Speculate!
Who doesn’t love a little uninformed speculation? By no means a final list with plenty more players expected to enter the portal, but let’s get into it a few interesting options already out there.
One name from Siddle’s past is A.J. Taylor, a 6-7, 205-pound forward who decided to leave N.C. State in September after one season with the Wolfpack, where he played one game as a freshman before suffering a season-ending injury. His mix of size and shooting to go with solid athleticism certainly looks like an ideal fit on the wing.
The 6-6, 205-pound David Caraher, a native of Chapel Hill, is leaving St. John’s after getting lost in the shuffle amid the Red Storm’s coaching change. He began his collegiate career at Houston Baptist, averaging 16.2 points and 7.2 rebound on his way to Southland Conference rookie of the year honors. He’s also got a clear link to High Point, where his high school coach, Keith Gatlin, is working on Tubby Smith’s staff.
A 6-8, 210-pound forward, Khydarius Smith was productive in a limited role for USC Upstate this season. The native of Fort Mill, SC averaged 5.5 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14.5 minutes and shot 71.6 percent from the field.
Previously committed to Howard, the 6-9, 190-pound Kuluel Mading would be a great fit for what the Seahawks want their big men to do. A teammate of commit Jamarii Thomas at The Burlington School, Mading has excellent length as a rim protector and rebounder and has no difficulty running the floor.
UNCW has an offer out to Ijomah Ezuma, a 6-8 power forward from Hargrave Military Academy.