Mike Talley's transfer to Eastern Michigan is official, former Duquesne guard eligible in 2013-14
Eastern Michigan confirmed Thursday what Mike Talley announced more than two weeks ago.
The former Duquesne combo guard is transferring to EMU to play his final two years of college basketball as an Eagle.
It's a return home for Talley, who was a the Michigan Class C Player of the Year at Melvindale Academy of Business & Technology and attended West Middle School in Ypsilanti.
He will sit out the 2012-13 season under NCAA transfer rules.
“I wanted to come home and find a good place where I can be a part of a program and do special things,” Talley said in a statement released by the university. "I just want to win and I see that the EMU program is on the rise.
Mike Talley
Duquesne University
"Coach (Rob) Murphy is there turning things around. I have heard that he is a winner and everybody wants to play for a winner. I want to help him get to where he wants to go.”
Talley brings considerable scoring potential to the Convocation Center. He averaged 31.2 points his senior season at Melvindale ABT and more than 24 points as a four-year varsity starter.
“Mike brings leadership along with lots of playing experience to our backcourt,” Murphy said in a statement. “His skill level, work ethic and winning attitude will help him make an immediate impact on our program.”
Talley is the son of former Michigan point guard Michael Talley, who coached his son at Melvindale ABT.
Earlier this month, Michael Talley told AnnArbor.com that Mike Talley chose EMU over "three or four" schools interested in the 5-foot-11 guard, who averaged 7.5 points and 1.9 assists in 20.6 minutes at Duquesne last season.
"Their style of play is very similar to what we used at ABT," said Michael Talley. "The best fit was EMU, for a lot of reasons."
Talley is the fourth Division I player to transfer to EMU since Murphy took the job after nine years as an assistant coach at Syracuse.
DaShonte Riley, a 7-foot center, followed Murphy from Syracuse and was able to join the team mid-season because of hardship waiver. He averaged 4.1 points and 4.3 rebounds in 19 games for the Eagles, who won the Mid-American Conference West Division regular season title.
Two more transfers -- 6-7 forward Glenn Bryant (Arkansas) and 6-6 guard Daylen Harrison (Wyoming) -- will be eligible next season.
On Monday, Eastern Michigan coach Rob Murphy announced the signing of 2012 point guard recruit Jalen Ross.