Transferred Players: Where Are They Now?
In the final edition of the “Where Are They Now” series, the topic of discussion will be former players who transferred from UConn. Would they have been better off staying in the national flag blue and white? One will never know, but each helped Connecticut men’s basketball to where it is today.
Ajou Deng (1999 – 2001)
• One of the most hyped-up recruits in UConn history did not live up to the hype. After two less-than-stellar seasons with the Huskies, Deng transferred to fellow Connecticut school Fairfield University. He averaged 13.7ppg with the Stags, playing around numerous foot injuries. He caught on overseas where he played in England and Slovakia.
Marcus White (2002 – 2004)
• A once fan favorite, Marcus White never got the playing time he desired. At 6’8” 230lbs, White was a big rebounder who got buried on the bench behind the likes of Emeka Okafor, Josh Boone, and Charlie Villanueva. He transferred to Purdue and put up pretty good numbers. He turned pro in Israel, where he played only one season. He spent time playing in Iraq and finally found his way to the NBA D-League in 2007. He recently retired from basketball and is home in Chicago working as an athletic trainer.
Antonio Kellogg (2004 – 2005)
• Kellogg played less than one full season in Storrs, where he averaged 3.2ppg and 2.2apg in just under 15 minutes per night. He came into UConn as a backup to Marcus Williams and AJ Price, before Price was suspended from the team. This elevated Kellogg to take on a more significant role. He transferred (some say he was dismissed) from UConn after off-court legal problems and academic issues. He landed at San Francisco where he averaged over 17 ppg before having another academic fallout. He spent a small amount of time playing overseas, and last played for Pioneros de Quintana Roo-Cancun in Mexico; he averaged 11 points per contest.
Marcus Johnson (2006 – 2007)
• Johnson had great athleticism that was seen in his high-flying dunks. He never really took on in Storrs, citing his role of the team and amount of playing time as grounds for a transfer. He transferred to USC where he averaged 9.6ppg in his last season (2010). He played overseas in Sweden for Sundsvall in 2012 and averaged 14.7ppg.
Curtis Kelly (2006 – 2008)
• A former 5-star recruit, Kelly never lived up to expectations at UConn. His averages hung around 3ppg and had off-court issues. This and lack of playing time led him to transfer to Kansas State. He finally turned around at KSU, where he averaged over 10ppg both seasons and grabbed a little over 6 rebounds per game. He ran into off-court problems again at KSU, being briefly suspended during his final season. He turned pro in Israel, playing for Hapoel T-A, where he averaged 13.5ppg this past season.
Jamal Coombs-McDaniels (2009 – 2011)
• Jamal Coombs-McDaniels. Most UConn remember his drug history and off-court problems. But not everyone remembers his spectacular rebound in the 2011 Big East Tournament Quarterfinals vs. Pittsburgh that led to Kemba Walker’s buzzer beater. Despite winning a National Championship, Coombs-McDaneils transferred to Hofstra after he ran into drug issues in spring 2011. Since transferring to Hofstra, he suffered a season-ending knee injury. He was arrested earlier this year in May for another drug infraction.
Alex Oriakhi (2009 – 2012)
• Oriakhi played 3 seasons in Storrs, with his best during his sophomore campaign. He was a very important rebounding piece that led to a National Championship. He fell off the radar in 2011-2012 as incoming freshman Andre Drummond committed to UConn. He transferred to Missouri for his final year of eligibility, and averaged 11.2ppg and 8.4 rpg. He was drafted 57th overall by the Phoenix Suns in the 2013 NBA Draft.
Roscoe Smith (2010 – 2012)
• Roscoe Smith was arguably one of the most puzzling transfers after the 2012 season. He was a starter on the 2011 title team, and would have seen a huge increase in playing time if he stayed. He redshirted at his first season at UNLV after the NCAA denied his legislative relief waiver request. He’ll suit up for the first time in a year this fall.
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