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| Alex Oriakhi/AP Images |
By Lauren Dellipoali
Because of this ruling, UConn will probably lose the majority of their key players from this year’s team either to transfers or to the NBA.
Alex Oriakhi is the first player to openly look for a transfer, as his father said earlier that his son would look to play on a team that has a chance to make the tournament. Oriakhi, who will be a senior, will not be forced to sit out a year like most transfers because UConn will be ineligible for tournament play, and the NCAA would grant him a waiver to play immediately. If the ban is lifted however, he will have to sit out a year with his new team.
Oriakhi is not a reason why UConn’s academic standing is so low. He boasts a 3.6 GPA, and his departure will hurt UConn’s standing even more. He may not be the last UConn player to leave, as many are expecting either or both Jeremy Lamb and Alex Boatright to explore other options.
There is no word on what teams Oriakhi is looking into at this point, but he has many options. He may end up with a team in the ACC according to some rumors that have been circulating. Wherever he ends up they will have a solid player as he averaged 6.7 points and 4.8 rebounds, which was slightly disappointing for him and his team. He is still a solid defensive player, and could be in high regard as he is low risk, high reward.
As the tournament is still going on, there is really no interest in him or other possible transfers, but once the tournament is over and teams find out who is staying and who is leaving, expect the market to heat up for Oriakhi and other possible UConn transfers. Especially watch out for teams who know all they need is one player defensively to make them a National Title contender, possibly Duke or even Kentucky.
