Angelo Chol, who announced last week that he was transferring from Arizona, committed Wednesday to play for San Diego State, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Chol starred at San Diego's Hoover High before signing with Arizona in 2011, making his signing somewhat of a homecoming for the Sudanese national. The 6-foot-9 forward will have two years of eligibility to use at San Diego State under coach Steve Fisher, who has developed several successful big men while taking the Aztecs to three straight NCAA tournaments.
The 19-year-old Chol, whose shot-blocking and hustle made him a fan favorite at McKale Center, averaged 1.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 8.5 minutes per game in 28 games this season. He was a relative newcomer to basketball who grew up in Sudan, and his offensive skills showed a lack of polish despite his status as a top-50 recruit nationally. He had fallen behind freshmen Kaleb Tarczewski, Brandon Ashley and Grant Jerrett in the rotation by the latter part of the year.
“Nothing against Coach Miller; I have a lot of respect for him,” Chol told the Union-Tribune. "But at the same time, it was hard. I felt like I had to keep looking over my shoulder, keep looking at the bench every time I did something to see if I would get subbed out.
“It wasn’t a fun way to play. I want to be comfortable when I’m out there. I was never able to get into a rhythm. You can’t do much in eight minutes per game.”
According to the Union-Tribune, Chol plans to enroll in summer classes so he can begin practicing with San Diego State as soon as possible.
