Omari Isreal impressed Notre Dame coaches enough in high school that they felt he could handle the rigors of competing on a nightly basis in the always-tough Big East Conference.
But the 2003 Good Counsel High (Montgomery County) graduate missed his entire college freshman season while recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and saw limited action the following year. Then, as he looked for more playing time last spring, the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward transferred to Loyola. He currently averages 8.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 29 minutes a game.
Isreal?s situation is not unique in college basketball. Schools are always willing to take a chance on a player that wants more playing time, is homesick or is just looking for a fresh start. Locally, transfers are playing prominent roles on a number of teams, including Loyola, Towson, Morgan State and Maryland-Baltimore County.
Four playersat Loyola, which competes in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, started their careers at other Division I schools, including guards Gerald Brown (Providence) and Joe Miles (Marshall), the latter of whom will be eligible next fall.
Brown, one of the nation?s leading scorers, filled the offensive void at Loyola left by the departure Andre Collins, who transferred to Loyola from Maryland.
“One thing you know about most of these transfers is that they?ve played at the highest level in Division I,” Loyola coach Jimmy Patsos said. “A lot of these guys have played or practiced against guys from the ACC or the Big East, and they bring that toughness when they come to this level. Some of these transfer cases are complex, and others are pretty simple. We?ve also been lucky in that players saw the success Andre had here and want to come here in part because of that.”
UMBC?s roster will take on a much different look next year, thanks in large part to three transfers becoming eligible. Among them is former Coppin State forward Darryl Proctor, the 2004-05 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference?s rookie of the year. The next year, he averaged 13.5 points and 7.8 rebounds a game.
Morgan State first-year coach Todd Bozeman is relying heavily on junior college and Division I transfers this season as he works toward rebuilding the program. Leading the group is junior Boubacar Coly, a 6-foot-9 forward who transferred from Xavier.
“I felt this would be a good place to come with Coach Bozeman here,” said Coly, who averages 8.4 points and 6.3 rebounds. “When it comes to basketball, it?s pretty easy to blend together with your teammates.”
Towson?s offense became immediately more dangerous for opponents after guard Gary Neal arrived last year from La Salle. He averages about 25 points a game. Tigers coach pat Kennedy said Neal?s arrival altered the course of the program.
“Stories like Gary?s and Gerald?s are a benefit to all of the programs in the area,” Kennedy said. “Players looking to transfer are looking for the best situation while going to people that they trust. Bringing in transfers is something a coach should never have to apologize for. It can only help the program.”
Ron Snyder is a staff writer at The Examiner. He can be reached at [email protected].
