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According to a report from Jon Rothstein of CBSSports, Nebraska redshirt junior forward Andrew White will be seeking a graduate transfer from the program in the coming weeks. It’s huge news for the Cornhuskers and could have a massive impact on the team’s chances next season.
BREAKING: Nebraska's Andrew White has requested his release and intends to be a grad transfer, source told @CBSSports. Immediately eligible.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) June 25, 2016
This summer, White declared for the 2016 NBA Draft, but did it without an agent and ultimately opted to forego his pro prospects for the time being and return to school. The consensus seemed to be that he would play a key role on the team next season and then move on to the NBA (or elsewhere) afterward.
Apparently, that’s not exactly the case.
During his one eligible season with the team, White averaged 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game. Overall, he led the team in scoring and rebounding and was the team’s best outside shooter.
Simply put, he was a massive contributor for the Huskers.
Undeniably, this is huge news for Nebraska. Though the team does have some new players stepping in like transfer Anton Gill and true freshman Isaiah Roby, there’s no debating that White was expected to be the team’s best player. To lose a player like that to transfer is a huge blow, especially considering that Nebraska went just 16-18 overall last year.
Where Nebraska goes from here is unknown, but if this report turns out to be accurate, it’s hard to see the Huskers improving next year. And for Nebraska fans, that has to be frustrating news.
One thing to watch will be whether Nebraska allows White to transfer inside the Big Ten, considering that there are multiple Big Ten programs still seeking transfer prospects, including Michigan and Rutgers.