Tag: Matt Cross

Iowa basketball transfer target F Matt Cross commits to SMU

Iowa transfer portal target, forward Matt Cross, committed to SMU.

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.

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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Wisconsin basketball one of two Big Ten programs to land visit with top transfer SF Matt Cross

Wisconsin will host an important transfer forward this week:

Wisconsin basketball is hosting UMass transfer forward Matt Cross on a visit this week, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

The Badgers are one of two Big Ten teams in the running for the four-star transfer recruit. The Iowa Hawkeyes are the other team to land a visit.

Related: An updated list of Wisconsin basketball’s transfer portal targets

Wisconsin was previously named as a program that was in ‘heavy pursuit’ of Cross, along with Iowa, TCU and USC.

Cross is 247Sports’ No. 193 player in the transfer portal and No. 37 small forward. The 6-foot-6, 225-pound SF was formerly the No. 93 player in the class of 2020, No. 21 small forward and No. 5 recruit from the state of Massachusetts.

The small forward’s college career has been an adventure. He began at Miami, transferred to Louisville for his sophomore season then played the last two years at UMass. He did average 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 54% shooting and 33% from three in 2023-24.

Wisconsin needs wing scoring in a bad way after the departures of A.J. Storr, Chucky Hepburn and Tyler Wahl. The Badgers are yet to land a player from the portal, making their pursuit of Cross even more critical.

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Wisconsin basketball in heavy pursuit of former four-star recruit

Wisconsin basketball in heavy pursuit of former four-star recruit

Wisconsin basketball is in heavy pursuit of former UMass guard Matt Cross, according to Jeff Goodman of The Field of 68.

Wisconsin is among the programs Cross is hearing the most from at this stage of recruitment along with Iowa, TCU and USC. Cross recently elected to enter the transfer portal on the April 16.

Related: Tracking Wisconsin basketball’s reported transfer portal visits and targets

The Beverly, Massachusetts native played his freshman campaign at the University of Miami where he shot 40% from downtown in 14 appearances for the Hurricanes. 

After transferring to Louisville for his sophomore season, Cross then landed at UMass for his junior year — where he has been a staple for the past two years. The nation’s former No. 86 recruit in ESPN 100 earned Atlantic 10 First-Team and NABC All-District Selections for a stellar senior performance. 

His 15.3-point, 8.3-rebound marks this past season vaulted him into the No. 36 small forward spot on 247sports transfer rankings. 

Outside UMass, Cross originally received offers from UConn, South Carolina, Georgia Tech, Miami and Tulane following his final year at Brewster Academy. He left high school as 247Sports’ No. 5 prospect in Massachusetts. 

With the departures of AJ Storr, Chucky Hepburn, Tyler Wahl and Conor Essegian, Wisconsin is certainly in need of a replacement at power forward. Cross’s length and veteran savvy could bridge that gap.

Cross is yet to make any transfer decision.

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