Pandemic Postscript: NCAA rules loosening has players on the move
The most unique season in college basketball history is expected to be followed by an offseason like no other, one full of massive player movement.
That transfer bug hit Villanova Wednesday when junior forward Cole Swider announced he has entered his name in the NCAA transfer portal.
“I would like to thank Coach (Jay) Wright for giving me the opportunity to play for such a great University, to all my teammates and coaches for the bonds and memories that we made over my 3 years,” Swider tweeted. “With that being said I will be entering the Transfer Portal. THANK YOU VILLANOVA.”
The 6-9 Swider appeared in 77 games with 17 starts over three seasons. He averaged 5.2 points and 2.4 rebounds while shooting 42.4 percent from the field overall and 35.1 percent from 3-point range in his career. He played in all 25 games this season for the Wildcats (18-7) and averaged 5.7 points and 2.8 rebounds while connecting on 40.2 percent of his attempts from 3-point range.
“Cole has decided to explore his options in the transfer market, and we are fully supportive of his decision,” Wright said in a statement. “Throughout his time with us, Cole has done everything in his power to become the best Villanova Basketball player he can be. He’s been a great representative of our University and we will work with him as he navigates this process.”
Swider will have two seasons of eligibility remaining after the NCAA granted winter sports athletes an extra year due to the coronavirus pandemic. He could be eligible immediately if the NCAA Division I Council adopts a one-time, penalty-free transfer rule where players wishing to move would not have to sit out a year as in years past. That provision is expected to be voted on later this month.
The pending rule change, which would just be for next season until a long-term solution can be reached, combined with the ever-growing transfer portal is what will make this offseason unique. As of Wednesday afternoon, nearly 1,100 players had entered the transfer portal, according to the website verbalcommits.com. That number is expected to grow and has coaching staffs like Wright’s at Villanova scrambling to come up with a game plan.
“We’ve never done this before,” Wright said. “We just have not been that active in this transfer environment, so this is all new to us. We addressed it with our team because of the way (in) college basketball now, people are literally recruiting guys off of other teams so your players have to deal with it. They’re forced into it and then we are forced into it.
“We are going to try to handle it as a team, the best we can, try to do the best for our players that we can and be honest with the people contacting us that want to transfer. I don’t have a blueprint for this. We’re just going to be honest and do the best we can.”
Dealing with possible transfers isn’t the only question facing the Wildcats this offseason. The futures of sophomore Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and seniors Collin Gillespie, Jermaine Samuels and Dhamir Cosby-Roundtree are at the top of the list.
The 6-9, 230-pound Robinson-Earl is expected to make the jump to the NBA. He said he wanted to take his time and weigh his options.
“I’ll sit down with my mom and the coaches and talk about my future and where that will lead,” Robinson-Earl said.
Gillespie, Samuels and Cosby-Roundtree could take advantage of the NCAA provision and return for another season. Gillespie missed the final five games after tearing the MCL in his left knee against Creighton. Cosby-Roundtree missed the
entire season with a tibial stress fracture in his left shin.
“His issue returning is going to be based on his health so we’re not going to be able to make that determination for a long time,” Wright said of Cosby-Roundtree. “His injuries could be such that he just can’t play next year. I don’t know when we’re going to be able to determine that, definitely not before the summer.”
For Gillespie and Samuels, Wright said among the variables in their decisions will be based on when the NBA will hold its draft combine and draft. The NBA announced Monday that the combine will be June 21-27 and the draft will be held July 29.
“This thing is going to get dragged out,” Wright said. “So we have started the discussions and we’re starting to put a plan together and the best we can do is to be honest and take care of our players first and then be honest with the people contacting us that want to transfer in.”