MU guard Perez enters transfer portal
The off-season overhaul of Marquette's roster continued Thursday.
Junior guard Jose Perez entered the transfer portal after playing just one season with the Golden Eagles.
Perez spent two seasons at GardnerWebb and then transferred to MU last May after getting recruited by former head coach Steve Wojciechowski and assistant Dwayne Killings.
It looked like the 6-foot-5 Perez was going to sit out last season, but he was given a NCAA waiver to play immediately just a few weeks before the opening game. The NCAA later gave waivers for every transfer sitting out.
Perez briefly played in the Golden Eagles' first two games, then didn't see action for the next 16.
After injuries hit MU, Perez logged playing time in the final eight regularseason games. He didn't make the trip to the Big East tournament for personal reasons, according to the school.
"At the start of the season, he was not in peak shape," Wojciechowski said after Perez played 13 minutes against
Creighton on Feb. 6. "He was far from it. To his credit, he's worked himself into, not the shape he's eventually going to be in, but has the ability to play in a game.
"And then, secondly, the plan all along with Jose before the NCAA ruling was to take this year to redefine his body. He actually came and said, 'If I can help the team, I'll play.' That's never been our plan, but to his credit he wanted to help our team and we gave him a shot."
Wojciechowski was fired March 26 and Shaka Smart was hired as MU's new coach a week later. Perez was shown in workouts with Smart in videos posted on social media by the school in April.
Since he is transferring for the second time, Perez will have to get another waiver to play immediately at his new school, though that seems likely given MU's coaching change and also the pandemic-disrupted season.
Perez can play two more seasons with the extra year granted by the NCAA to all athletes.
Smart and his staff will welcome eight new players next season. With Perez's departure, MU is one scholarship below the limit of 13. That total includes Dawson Garcia, who is testing the NBA
draft waters but retaining his eligibility.
Akanno heads to Oregon State
Former MU guard Dexter Akanno, who entered the transfer portal on April 27, announced he will play next season at Oregon State.
Akanno redshirted the 2019-20 season, then played sparingly last season. He missed the first two games with a "COVID-related illness" but after returning Akanno appeared in just 12 games, totaling eight points, seven rebounds and nine turnovers.
Oregon State advanced to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Beavers are coached by Wayne Tinkle, whose father worked at MU in the 1960s.
As a first-time transfer, Akanno has immediate eligibility at Oregon State.
Lott waived by Minnesota Lynx
With WNBA teams finalizing their rosters, the Minnesota Lynx waived former MU guard Selena Lott.
The 5-foot-11 Lott was not selected in the WNBA draft last month, but signed a training camp contract with the Lynx. Lott was the Big East co-defensive player of the year last season and averaged a team-high 14.7 points and 5.2 assists per game.