Transfers/Seniors with Remaining Eligibility

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Just when I think I understand the ins and outs of the Covid year (which I still clearly do not) something like this comes along.  I thought the student-athlete needed to be academically eligible as well (i.e. either not having yet completed his undergrad degree or now enrolled in a graduate program).  In Yoder's case did he not get his undergrad degree at NDSU?  Hasn't he been a student for 4 years across 2 institutions?  Does IWU have a grad program of which I'm unaware?

I'm so confused, and I guess I've got 2 more years of confusion ahead.

You're conflating two things. There used to be a "grad transfer" rule that allowed grad students to change schools for a degree program without sitting out the year (in d1). D1 has almost fully done away with the ineligible year anyway. For transfers coming to d3, there have never been regulations, so long as they have eligibility left.

A particular conference might have additional restrictions, but all the covid waiver did was essentially make 2020-21 a free redshirt for anyone who played.

[nescac1]

(Most recent updates in bold  - also, removed Barber and Bulatovic as both are reportedly no longer in the portal)


D3 players who have announced transfer destination:

Raheem Anthony - St. Mary's to D1 St. Thomas
Alex Sobel - Middlebury to D1 Sacred Heart (pending NCAA approval of waiver)
Dylan Thoerner - Tufts to D1 UC-Irvine (awaiting confirmation on this report)
Cody Mitchell - IWU to NAIA/D2 Roosevelt University
Lucas Heflin - IWU to D2 Mississippi College
Dan Carr - Augustana to D2 Rockhurt University
Brock Voigt - Eau Clair to D2 Winona State
Jack Clement - OWU to John Carroll
Josh Decker - Kalamazoo to Hope
Colin Kahl - Sewanee to CWRU
Tautvydas Kupstas - Skidmore to D2 West Florida
Lyle Tipton - Geneva to D2 Gannon
Jamal Cannady - Bryn Athyn to D2 Trevecca


Transferring from scholarship level to D3:

Zac Johnson - D2 Augustana University to River Falls
Austin Murrow - D2 Central Missouri to Simpson
Patrick Renane - D2 Chaminade to Cal Lutheran
Adam Dudzinski - D2 St. Rose to St. Lawrence
Max Schneider - D2 St. Rose to St. John Fisher
Brandon Upshaw - D1 (walk-on) FDU to Kean
Christian Stanislav - D2 Northwest Missouri State to Buena Vista
Calvin Thomas - D2 Wilmington to Salisbury
Trey Brooks - D2 Lake Erie to North Park
Caden Hoffman - D2 Concordia St Paul to Wisconsin Stout
Luke Yoder - D1 North Dakota State to Illinois Wesleyan
Jackson Watson - D1 Bowling Green (PWO) to Wisconsin Stevens-Point


In the transfer portal:

Brendan Mora - Pomona
Will King - Colby
Preston Maccoux - Wesleyan
Wesley Hooker - Elmhurst
Josh Angle - CMC
Bryan Adams - Elmira
Aireus Raspberry - Johnson & Wales
Blake Lander - Whittier


Reportedly, or potentially, returning for another year to their current program:

Jeff Hunter - Keene State
Spencer Freedman - NYU
Michael Savarino - NYU
Cole Frilling - CWRU (possibly)
Ryan Clements - HSC
Josiah Johnson - MHB
Daniel Cook - St. John Fisher


Done with college hoops despite a fifth year they could have used:

Levi Borchert - Oshkosh
Miles Mallory - RMC


Intentions unknown:

Josh Talbert - RMC (seems like not returning to RMC, at least)
John Lowther - WPI
Greg Rowson - UMW (injured and did not play in 21-22, in addition to the COVID year)
Collen Gurley - Mount Union (even though it would be his sixth year, he did not play at Youngstown State after transferring and he has a COVID year)

[Greek Tragedy]

Thoerner going D1

https://twitter.com/stevenD3Hoops/status/1656123508940763136?t=ocGbBNCuzQlRkeSsqW5dbw&s=19

[Gregory Sager]

Transferring from scholarship level to D3:

Zac Johnson - D2 Augustana University to River Falls
Austin Murrow - D2 Central Missouri to Simpson
Patrick Renane - D2 Chaminade to Cal Lutheran
Adam Dudzinski - D2 St. Rose to St. Lawrence
Max Schneider - D2 St. Rose to St. John Fisher
Brandon Upshaw - D1 (walk-on) FDU to Kean
Christian Stanislav - D2 Northwest Missouri State to Buena Vista
Calvin Thomas - D2 Wilmington to Salisbury
Trey Brooks - D2 Lake Erie to North Park
Caden Hoffman - D2 Concordia St Paul to Wisconsin Stout

Luke Yoder - D1 North Dakota State to Illinois Wesleyan

Yoder will be using his Covid option. He spent three seasons with Illinois Wesleyan prior to transferring to NDSU last year, and was an All-CCIW second-teamer in 2021-22.

Wow. Interesting. That probably puts IWU ahead of NPU now. 

Well, of course it does. I mean, they're IWU, so obviously they're halfway to winning the natty every year just by putting on those green-and-white uniforms, right?

[Gregory Sager]

Just when I think I understand the ins and outs of the Covid year (which I still clearly do not) something like this comes along.  I thought the student-athlete needed to be academically eligible as well (i.e. either not having yet completed his undergrad degree or now enrolled in a graduate program).  In Yoder's case did he not get his undergrad degree at NDSU?

According to the story in the Bloomington newspaper, apparently not.

Hasn't he been a student for 4 years across 2 institutions?

That may be open to question. Once darkness covered the land in March 2020, academic status went up in the air along with everything else in society. Did this class shift to online? Was that class unable to shift online? Did the school offer students the opportunity to retroactively opt out of that spring semester? Did it refuse to do so? What about schools that are on trimesters or quarters rather than a strict semester system? So many questions. One of the reasons why the NCAA granted the Covid waiver in the first place was because every student-athlete was trying to wend his or her way through the academic minefield that Covid set down in his or her path.

In other words, yeah, Yoder's been a student for four years across two institutions. But does he have the credits to graduate in his major yet? Even if he's an excellent student and a diligent planner, only he and his academic advisor, and (probably) his parents, really know what his credit-hour status is. Plus, there's always the chance that he cut back on his hours at NDSU by dropping classes after he broke his foot last January, in order to set himself up for full-time status for a fifth year.

I'm reasonably sure that Yoder planned ahead and thought this through well. IWU is an extremely expensive school, and thus it's typically not a place where student-athletes take an unnecessary fifth year of classes just to use up remaining eligibility.

Does IWU have a grad program of which I'm unaware?

No, it doesn't. Illinois Wesleyan has no grad programs whatsoever, which is why we non-IWU CCIW types take great pleasure in razzing the Green Weenies about how their school calls itself a university despite the fact that it's only for undergraduates.

I'm so confused, and I guess I've got 2 more years of confusion ahead.

Well, part of the confusion no doubt lies in the fact that every school, and indeed every student-athlete, is different in terms of Covid eligibility and the specific decisions made thereof.

[BaboNation]

@Gregory Sager   Thanks for all that!

[Gregory Sager]

[Greek Tragedy]

Dan Cook was listed as a senior last year, but wasn't on the list above. He's returning to SJFC for his last year of eligibility.

https://twitter.com/SJFMBB/status/1656383343775166465?s=20

[Greek Tragedy]

Not D3, but Seth Towns will be playing basketball, ahead of his 8th college hoops season. He'll be 26.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/37658087/seth-towns-enters-transfer-portal-ahead-8th-college-basketball-season

16-17: Harvard
17-18: Harvard
18-19: injured
19-20: injured
20-21: Ohio St
21:22: injury
22-23: sat out
23-24: transfer portal

Could have 2 years of eligibility left.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Not D3, but Seth Towns will be playing basketball, ahead of his 8th college hoops season. He'll be 26.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/37658087/seth-towns-enters-transfer-portal-ahead-8th-college-basketball-season

16-17: Harvard
17-18: Harvard
18-19: injured
19-20: injured
20-21: Ohio St
21:22: injury
22-23: sat out
23-24: transfer portal

Could have 2 years of eligibility left.

I still think Jordan Lester's run is more impressive since he saw the floor in six or seven separate seasons.

[nescac1]

I guess Rodrick Payne stayed in portal after all - committed to D1 Western Illinois!

[nescac1]

D3 players who have announced transfer destination:

Raheem Anthony - St. Mary's to D1 St. Thomas
Alex Sobel - Middlebury to D1 Sacred Heart
Rodrick Payne - River Falls to D1 Western Illinois
Dylan Thoerner - Tufts to D1 UC-Irvine (awaiting confirmation on this report)
Cody Mitchell - IWU to NAIA/D2 Roosevelt University
Lucas Heflin - IWU to D2 Mississippi College
Dan Carr - Augustana to D2 Rockhurt University
Brock Voigt - Eau Clair to D2 Winona State
Jack Clement - OWU to John Carroll (may be reconsidering)
Josh Decker - Kalamazoo to Hope
Colin Kahl - Sewanee to CWRU
Tautvydas Kupstas - Skidmore to D2 West Florida
Lyle Tipton - Geneva to D2 Gannon
Jamal Cannady - Bryn Athyn to D2 Trevecca
Malcolm Noel - Covenant to D2 West Georgia


Transferring from scholarship level to D3:

Zac Johnson - D2 Augustana University to River Falls
Austin Murrow - D2 Central Missouri to Simpson
Patrick Renane - D2 Chaminade to Cal Lutheran
Adam Dudzinski - D2 St. Rose to St. Lawrence
Max Schneider - D2 St. Rose to St. John Fisher
Brandon Upshaw - D1 (walk-on) FDU to Kean
Christian Stanislav - D2 Northwest Missouri State to Buena Vista
Calvin Thomas - D2 Wilmington to Salisbury
Trey Brooks - D2 Lake Erie to North Park
Caden Hoffman - D2 Concordia St Paul to Wisconsin Stout
Luke Yoder - D1 North Dakota State to Illinois Wesleyan
Jackson Watson - D1 Bowling Green (PWO) to Wisconsin Stevens-Point
Trip Riemersma - D2 Saginaw Valley to Calvin


In the transfer portal:

Brendan Mora - Pomona
Will King - Colby
Preston Maccoux - Wesleyan
Wesley Hooker - Elmhurst
Josh Angle - CMC
Bryan Adams - Elmira
Aireus Raspberry - Johnson & Wales
Blake Lander - Whittier


Reportedly, or potentially, returning for another year to their current program:

Jeff Hunter - Keene State
Spencer Freedman - NYU
Michael Savarino - NYU
Cole Frilling - CWRU (possibly)
Ryan Clements - HSC
Josiah Johnson - MHB
Collen Gurley - Mount Union
Daniel Cook - St. John Fisher


Done with college hoops despite a fifth year they could have used:

Levi Borchert - Oshkosh
Miles Mallory - RMC


Intentions unknown:

Josh Talbert - RMC (seems like not returning to RMC, at least)
John Lowther - WPI
Greg Rowson - UMW (injured and did not play in 21-22, in addition to the COVID year - not listed as graduating so I suspect returning)

[BaboNation]

Lowther was not listed in WPI's commencement program.  So, without having any inside information I'm guessing he's returning.

[nescac1]

Lowther returning would obviously be a game-changer for WPI, since in that case they'd have essentially their entire rotation back.  I guess we will have to stay tuned!

On another note, next year will be the last season in which a significant number of players will be listed as seniors but have a potential additional COVID year to play (at their current program, or as a transfer) in the 24-25 season.  Here is a list of high-profile players who I believe will qualify (no doubt I'm missing some as well).  Christian Parker and Jahn Hines are, obviously, the biggest names on their list, but a lot of these guys are real dudes who could make be difference-makers if they choose to use their extra year of eligiblity:

Christian Parker - Mount Union
Jahn Hines - CNU
David Murray - Conn College
Ja'Zere Noel - Rowan
Ben Callahan Gold - Trinity (CT)
Jeremiah Sparks - Oswego
John Adams - WPI
DJ Campbell - Richard Stockton
Jesse Hafemeister - Catholic
Jalen Vaughns - Neumann
Davidson Hubbard - HSC
Uchenna Egezeke - Calvin
Ryan Broeckel - Wisconsin Lutheran
Cody Baer - Eureka
Joshua Van Gorp - Central
Caleb Williams - Macalaster
Darry Moore - ETBU
Daniel Mbangue - RMC
Tim Restall - WNE
Logan Pearson - Platteville
Ryan Thissen - St. John's
Giovanni Rubino - Muehlenberg
Ousmane Kourouma - RIC
Jack Boyle - UT-Dallas

[D3fanboy]

Collen Gurley coming back to Mount Union