Rebels pick up Rutgers transfer Seagears
As soon as one transfer walks out, another walks in the revolving door. The UNLV basketball team’s roster turnover continued Wednesday with the addition of former Rutgers guard Jerome Seagears.
At the end of a three-day visit to Las Vegas, Seagears announced plans to transfer and play his senior season for the Rebels. He is seeking a waiver from the NCAA and expects to be granted eligibility for the 2014-15 season.
“Hopefully, I get the waiver. I’m pretty sure it should go through,” Seagears said. “I needed to get to a new environment and get a fresh start.”
Seagears fills the spot vacated by Demetris Morant, a redshirt freshman forward who received his scholarship release from UNLV on Monday. Morant plans to transfer to a college in Florida — most likely Florida Gulf Coast — to be close to his ill father.
Morant was the third transfer and fifth player to leave the Rebels since December, when freshman Jamal Aytes departed for Brigham Young. Bryce Dejean-Jones transferred to Iowa State for his senior year, and Khem Birch and Roscoe Smith declared for the NBA Draft. And more moves could be coming soon.
The 6-foot-1-inch Seagears figures to be UNLV’s backup point guard, and he will compete with Cody Doolin, a graduate transfer from the University of San Francisco.
Seagears said he was caught in a storm of chaos at Rutgers, first under former coach Mike Rice and then last season under coach Eddie Jordan. In late March, ESPN reported that Seagears and another former Scarlet Knights player filed a lawsuit in New Jersey against the school, former administrators, and Rice and Jordan. Rice was fired after a scandal alleging his physical and verbal abuse of players.
Seagears transferred to Auburn last summer, but he returned to Rutgers a month later. He averaged 7.1 points and 3.2 assists last season.
“It had its ups and downs,” Seagears said. “It was good sometimes and bad sometimes.”
Ryan Miller, hired to Rebels coach Dave Rice’s staff last month, was an assistant coach at Auburn when Seagears briefly transferred there.
“It’s going to be a real good situation,” Seagears said. “Coach Miller is a good guy, and I trust him a lot.”
Contact reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907. Follow him on Twitter: @mattyoumans247.
