FGCU becoming transfer destination for basketball

FORT MYERS, Fla.– This last year, recruiting for college coaches was a bit of a challenge due to the pandemic.

FGCU head men’s basketball coach Michael Fly put his recruiting class hopes into transfer students rather than incoming college freshmen.

“I think that’s just the nature of where we are in college basketball right now,” Fly explained.

It’s a vision that Fly put together and was excited to see pan out.

“I did think this is a place we can attract transfers because we have had a lot of success with transfers over the years,” says Fly. 

As the NCAA mandated pandemic dead period on recruiting ending in June, the letters of intent to play for the Eagles came in one by one. 

“There’s an energy about this program that I just love and it points to the right direction,” says Austin Richie, a senior guard who is transferring in from Tulsa. 

Along with Richie, the Eagles signed Matt Halvorsen from Western Carolina, Carlos Rosario from McNeese State, Tavian Dunn-Martin from Duquesne, and Kevin Samuel from TCU. 

Samuel, a grad-transfer who was a three-year starter at TCU holds the school record for blocked shots with 206 and as a former four-star recruit he is the highest-ranked prospect to play at FGCU. 

“We’ve got dudes who have already played at a high level and already had that experience coming together to share that knowledge that they have and compete against each other every day,” said Samuel. 

As it turns out, thanks to the NCAA transfer portal, Fly hopes to reload his roster rather than rebuilding it is the key to an NCAA Tournament run next season. 

 “I think all of us as college coaches, and players, have to approach each season now as let’s try to win this season,” says Fly.

“We’ll worry about the next season after that but right now it’s about winning now because you have a chance to improve your roster quickly in the (transfer portal).”

And we all get to see that improved roster first hand when the Eagles’ season opens in the Fall. 

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