BYU guard Matt Carlino to transfer to Marquette

BYU guard Matt Carlino to transfer to Marquette

Published Apr. 25, 2014 6:54 p.m. ET
82e15fb4-

Marquette appears to have landed an impact transfer Friday, as BYU guard Matt Carlino is transferring in to play for the Golden Eagles, according to multiple reports.

School officials had no comment, but first-year coach Steve Wojciechowski tweeted about Carlino's impending transfer.

ADVERTISEMENT

Carlino is graduating from BYU in June and will have one year of eligibility remaining. Per NCAA rules, Carlino will be eligible to play right away for Marquette if he enrolls in a graduate program that BYU does not offer.

The 6-foot-2 guard will give Marquette a scoring guard that can handle the ball. Carlino averaged 13.7 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game for the Cougars last season, shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 33.9 percent from beyond the arc.

Carlino's 60 made 3-pointers in the 2013-14 season would have ranked second on the Golden Eagles, as Jake Thomas led the team with 67 triples with Jamil Wilson hitting just 32.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity coach Rose and his staff have given me," Carlino said in a statement when he announced his decision to transfer. "I'm also grateful for my teammates, professors and advisors for making my time at BYU such a great experience and for helping me grow so much as a person. Thank you to the fans that have given me so much support. I feel very blessed that I was able to represent BYU."

Carlino verbally committed to Indiana out of high school but changed his mind and enrolled at UCLA. He transferred from UCLA before even playing a game, something a Sports Illustrated article that ran in 2012 helped clear up.

Here's an excerpt from the Sports Illustrated piece "Special Report: Not the UCLA Way":

From the first practice, (former UCLA forward Reeves) Nelson's treatment of Carlino was a divisive issue. Carlino suffered a concussion during the preseason that caused him to miss the first three games. Nelson ridiculed Carlino for letting the injury sideline him. He told Carlino he didn't belong at UCLA and wasn't any good. He would yell at Carlino to leave the locker room, calling him "concussion boy." When Carlino returned to workouts, Nelson would go out of his way to set a screen on Carlino so he could hit him. Eventually, players say, Carlino dreaded practice. It was of little surprise when he left UCLA midway through the season and transferred to BYU.

After Carlino left, there was a team meeting at which (former UCLA coach Ben) Howland said he couldn't respect a quitter. "But everyone knew why Matt left," says one player. "He didn't want to keep sitting on the bench, but most of all he didn't want to be around Reeves anymore. That wasn't quitting. That was just smart."

Assuming Carlino will be put on scholarship, Marquette has 11 scholarship players for the 2014-15 season. The backcourt will be filled with options, as Carlino will join Derrick Wilson, Todd Mayo, Jajuan Johnson, John Dawson and Duane Wilson as those expected to fight for minutes.

Where the Golden Eagles aren't deep is in the frontcourt, as Steve Taylor (6-foot-7) will be the only player over 6-foot-6 eligible to play when the season begins. 6-foot-11 center Luke Fischer will have to sit out the first semester after transferring from Indiana in January.

Follow Andrew Gruman on Twitter

share