One of Iowa basketball’s transfer portal targets is off the board.
UMass transfer forward Matt Cross visited Iowa City in late April, but he announced his commitment to SMU on Friday night via Instagram.
Cross averaged 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game last season with the Minutemen. The 6-foot-7, 230 pound forward shot 54.0% from the field, 32.9% from 3-point distance and 79.8% from the charity stripe.
The Beverly, Mass., product was a first-team Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection this past season at UMass.
NEWS: Matt Cross will transfer to SMU
He made the 1st team All-A-10 with averages of 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game this at UMass @TheAthleticCBB pic.twitter.com/A5vF3kAebB
— Tobias Bass (@tobias_bass) May 4, 2024
Cross was regarded as a four-star transfer portal prospect per 247Sports. 247Sports rated Cross as the No. 221 overall transfer and as the No. 44 small forward.
Coming out Brewster Academy, Cross was a four-star signee, the No. 93 player overall in the 2020 class and the No. 23 small forward. Cross signed with Miami (Fla.) originally before transferring to Louisville and then UMass.
With Cross off the board, Iowa will have to turn its attention elsewhere. The Hawkeyes still need more help and there are reports that Iowa is one of the schools that has contacted UCLA transfer forward Berke Buyuktuncel.
The Hawkeyes are battling the likes of Nebraska, Virginia, Cincinnati, Washington, Butler, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Kentucky, BYU and Louisville in the recruitment of Buyuktuncel.
The Hawkeyes have seen a pair of guards, Dasonte Bowen and Tony Perkins, and forward Patrick McCaffery leave in the transfer portal. Bowen and Perkins transferred to St. Bonaventure and Missouri, while McCaffery transferred to Butler.
Iowa has added Morehead State transfer guard Drew Thelwell.
The 6-foot-3, 195 pound guard played and started in all 68 games for the Eagles over the past two seasons. In his career, Thelwell has appeared in 114 games and started 69.
This past season, Thelwell averaged 10.0 points, 6.2 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. The Orlando product shot 43.5% from the floor and 33.8% from 3-point range. Thelwell netted 64.5% of his free throw tries.
Thelwell helped Morehead State finish 26-9 (14-4 OVC) and win the Ohio Valley tournament championship. The Eagles earned a No. 14 seed and played Illinois in the NCAA Tournament.
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