Ex-Husky Stevenson Expected to Choose from 3 Transfer Options
Erik Stevenson, the first of six players to leave the University of Washington basketball team, apparently is considering transferring to BYU, Butler or South Carolina, according to multiple news outlets.
The 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Lacey, Washington, apparently will decide his next destination on Sunday.
Stevenson, who played one season for the Huskies after spending two at Wichita State, proved to be a relentless but highly inaccurate shooter for both schools, shooting just 29 percent for the Huskies from 3-point range.
After Stevenson informed UW coach Mike Hopkins that he was unhappy and not coming back on March 23, several of his teammates now seemed emboldened to follow him out the door.
Husky guards Marcus Tsohonis, RaeQuan Battle and Nate Pryor, and forwards J'Raan Brooks and Hameir Wright followed suit. So far, Pryor is the only UW player to find another school, New Mexico State.
Should Stevenson turn to BYU, he will play for Mark Pope, a former UW and Kentucky player, a connection he Cougars-related website vanquishthefoe.com speculates could help turn him into a better shooter. Stevenson has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
With its exorbitant number of defecting players, the Huskies have been lumped among the biggest losers nationwide of teams dealing with the transfer portal, according to CBSSportscom.
Others are Minnesota, which stands to lose leading scorers Marcus Carr and Liam Robbins following the firing of coach Richard Pitino; Penn State, which has lost leading scorer Myreon Jones to Florida and three other key players following a coaching change; Boston College, which had its top four scorers leave after ousting its coach, including Jay Heath relocating to Arizona State; and Utah, which saw top scorer Timmy Allen enter the portal after Utes coach Larry Krystkowiak lost his job when the season ended..
Also, 19 schools have contacted 6-foot-9 Tanner Groves, Eastern Washington's leading scorer and NCAA tourney standout against Kansas, since he entered the portal. His suitors include Virginia, Maryland, Minnesota, Arkansas, Tulsa, Virginia Tech, BYU and San Diego State, as well as Pac-12 entries Washington State, Stanford and California.
The Huskies haven't shown any interest in Groves or his brother, 6-foot-7 Jacob, another Eastern Washington player in the portal.
Taking advantage of the sudden talent pool this offseason, Washington State beefed up its roster on Saturday by adding South Alabama guard Michael Flowers, a 21-point scorer who was considered the top offensive player available in the portal, at least based on point average.
"I chose Washington State because I wanted to play in a Power 5 conference and I felt they were the best fit," Flowers told ESPN. "The coaching staff showed a great interest in me and my goals. I like the way coach Kyle Smith allows his point guards to make plays and helps put players in position to be effective."
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