They played at the strangest time in college basketball’s history.
Not one of the 11 players below could have expected to still be playing college basketball in 2021-22 when they began as freshmen. But the “free year” offered by the NCAA as a result of the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on a disjointed 2020-21 season meant all 11 could return for a fifth — or in a couple of cases, sixth — year of eligibility.
But it wasn’t just the pandemic that altered the college basketball landscape over the past half-decade.
The introduction of the NCAA’s one-time transfer rule and the explosion of the transfer portal meant staying at one school for an entire career — much less one extended by an additional season — became an increasingly rare decision. The 11 players below made such a decision, and they were the cream of the crop of 2021-22’s unique “super senior” class that will take its final bows over the next few weeks. ESPN talked to the 11 all-conference-level, fifth- or sixth-year, single-school players about their unusual journeys, and what’s next:
Jump to: Jamaree Bouyea, San Francisco | Collin Gillespie, Villanova | Grant Golden, Richmond (6th year) | Rocky Kreuser, North Dakota State | Hunter Maldonado, Wyoming | Sukhmail Mathon, Boston U. | Javante McCoy, Boston U. | George Papas, Monmouth | Ben Shungu, Vermont (6th year) | Fabian White Jr., Houston | Lucas Williamson, Loyola Chicago
When you stepped onto campus in 2017, what did you expect to be doing right now?
If I could go back to my first year and look five years ahead I’d probably think I’d be playing basketball somewhere, whether it’s in the NBA, the G League or overseas. But I definitely wouldn’t think I’d still be at USF. With the COVID year I’m making the most of it.
Why’d you stay all five years?
I definitely had to take some time. For me it was a tough situation. My…
Source : espn
