Ex-Michigan basketball forward Evan Smotrycz will transfer to Maryland, according to report
Evan Smotrycz has found a new home in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Smotrycz, a former Michigan basketball player, told CBSsports.com's Jeff Goodman on Monday that he'll transfer to Maryland.
Smotrycz then confirmed the news via Twitter on Monday morning.
"I will be heading to the University of Maryland next year," he wrote.
Former Michigan forward Evan Smotrycz (23) will transfer to Maryland, according to a report.
Angela J. Cesere | AnnArbor.com
The Terrapins went 17-15 last season under first-year coach Mark Turgeon, but do welcome in the country's 15th-best recruiting class next season, according to Scout.com.
Had he returned to Michigan, Smotrycz would've been a candidate to start next season. The Wolverines bring in a top 10 recruiting class and, with the return of Trey Burke, are pegged as early Big Ten title and Final Four contenders by various national pundits.
Smotrycz, along with Carlton Brundidge and Colton Christian, announced their plans to transfer from Michigan coach John Beilein's program last month, less than a week after the Wolverines' season ended in the NCAA Tournament.
According to Smotrycz's mother, Charleen Smotrycz, the former Wolverine power forward was no longer happy in Ann Arbor.
"This is something Evan's been thinking about for some time," Charleen Smotrycz told AnnArbor.com. "He was kind of assessing things along the way, things he needed to work on and things that he felt would make him a stronger player, not just at Michigan but moving forward.
"He wasn't happy and he felt that he needed to take a pause, head home and kind of re-assess what he was looking for in the next step of his life, and we supported him."
Of the three Michigan transfers, Smotrycz was the biggest loss on paper.
The Reading, Mass. native played in 69 games during his two seasons at Michigan, and averaged 7.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in 2011-12.
He began last season as a starter, and was averaging 11.5 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Wolverines in December.
But once Big Ten play began, Smotrycz began to wear down. He was eventually replaced in Beilein's starting lineup by senior guard Stu Douglass, and never quite regained the consistency he displayed early in the season.
"We never like to see players leave the program, however, Evan, Colton and Carlton have made the decision to transfer and continue their careers elsewhere," Beilein said in a statement in March. "All three are fine young men with bright futures. We wish them and their families nothing but success going forward."
Nick Baumgardner covers Michigan basketball for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at 734-623-2514, by email at nickbaumgardner@annarbor.com and followed on Twitter @nickbaumgardner.
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Comments
treetowncartel
Tue, Apr 17, 2012 : 2:05 p.m.
I'm still irked that that a player who had already decided to leave the program was on the floor, and let alone had the ball, for the last possession of the Ohio game. At least Frieder didn't keep his move a secret.
81wolverine
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 7:41 p.m.
Maybe he didn't see eye to eye with Beilein. Maybe he just didn't like the physical style of play in the Big Ten. Maybe he had trouble balancing school and bball at Michigan. Who knows? His decision couldn't have had to do with playing time, as he was slated to have a significant role next year. But, Maryland is a strange choice to me in that it will be every bit as competitive as Michigan. And Turgeon will be every bit as tough on him as Beilein (or maybe more so) from what I've heard. Also, based on history, most players are better off staying than transferring. The latter sets them back too far and they end up struggling to reach a high level at the new school. Perhaps sitting out a year is part of that. IMO, it's better in most cases to work through your difficulties then starting over somewhere else. Not always, but usually.
Fender66
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 3:44 p.m.
Towny's got it right. Probably a nice kid but an extremely weak "big man". Hit the weights hard this summer Evan, you need it!
towny
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 3:20 p.m.
Who Cares !. Marginal player with limited talent. Thanks for opening up a scholarship and roster spot. Wolverines will be much improved next year with or without you.
heartbreakM
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 3:03 p.m.
time will tell is he made the right or wrong decision. I will be interested in seeing how he does, though I don't know why this move makes sense just on paper. Maybe there is a lot of internal stuff that we don't know about--not just coach-player stuff but player-player stuff. Maybe Smot's poor B10 performance was more than meets the eye (if he was not into the team, maybe he just played more poorly). For his sake, I hope he finds a good home at the other UM, though I'm not sure the grass is always greener. At least he'll get a year to acclimate.
heartbreakM
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 6:39 p.m.
Other than being on the east coast, is Maryland really all that closer to Massachussetts than Michigan? Both require a plane ride to be quick (though the east coast has a train), but whatever his reasons for moving, we all will probably will never know. I was really bitter at first and hope that it doesn't hurt us too much. I am still puzzled why a rising sophomore who finished the season strong would up and leave so quickly, but it happened and all parties move on. (I am surprised, though, that he didn't show up to the team banquet as he didn't leave on publicly bad terms).
AfterDark
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 5:46 p.m.
Bottom line: He's moving closer to home.
jpud
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 2:43 p.m.
Perhaps he will enjoy playing for a losing program more; I doubt it. Athletes tend to hate losing, so he is likely in for more misery. Embrace the misery Evan, put it to your advantage! Study some tapes of Bill Lambeer, and emulate his style. Scowl right in your opponents face rather than scowling at the floor. May the wind be at your back and big blue force be with you on your journey!
Rob Pollard
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 2:31 p.m.
Good luck to him. Not sure if it's the best decision for him in terms of production on the court, as he would seem like a great fit for Beelein's offense, but he was clearly unhappy in A2 for some reason, so it made sense on that level. Hopefully he'll be a part of beating UNC and Duke in the ACC.
glimmertwin
Mon, Apr 16, 2012 : 2:10 p.m.
I wish him the best of luck, but I fail to see how he will ever benefit from this.