Multiple MBB players continue to enter the portal

After another East Carolina University men's basketball season (15-18, 7-11 American Athletic Conference) concluded with more losses than wins, over half of the Pirate scholarship players have decided they will part ways with ECU and enter the transfer portal.

Only 20 days after the Pirates last basketball game of the season, where they fell to the University of South Florida in the American Athletic Conference tournament quarterfinals, eight players have entered the transfer portal this offseason.

It all started when now graduate transfer forward Brandon Johnson announced his decision to enter the transfer portal on March 18, the leader for the Pirates in rebounding this past season and second in points per game.

Johnson is the only ECU player entering the transfer portal that was not recruited by Head Coach Michael Schwartz, as he was originally a signee from former ECU Head Coach Joe Dooley.

After coming to ECU after winning a national championship at the University of Kansas, junior guard Bobby Pettiford entered the transfer portal. The Durham, North Carolina native had his moments in the Purple and Gold during the 2023-24 season, averaging 7.8 points per game while dishing out 112 assists and 35 turnovers. He averaged 2.3 rebounds per game and shot 45.3% from the field, 26.4% from three, and 65.9% from the line.

What may have come as the biggest surprise from fans was sophomore forward Ezra Ausar hitting the portal. He had an impressive freshman campaign, being unanimously selected as All-AAC first team. Ausar started 24 of 32 games last season, averaging 11.4 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

The latest Pirate to enter the transfer was sophomore forward Valentino Pinedo. Pinedo appeared in 45 games and made two starts. He scored 32 points and pulled down 32 rebounds, averaging 0.7 points and 0.7 rebounds per game. Pinedo shot 40% from the field.

After two seasons and 56 games at ECU, sophomore guard Kalib LaCount sought a transfer. LaCount served as a backup point guard this season, and his average minutes per game dropped in his second year. LaCount averaged three points and 1.4 assists a game this season, playing 13.0 minutes. Throughout his two years at ECU, the 5-foot-8, 148-pounder shot 32.8 percent from the field, 23% from three, and 72.6 percent from the free throw line.

Senior guard Benjamin Bayela followed suit, entering the portal after spending the previous two seasons at ECU. He appeared in only 12 games this season due to a knee injury, averaging 9.8 minutes and 2.2 points per game. In 2022-23, Bayela started seven of 24 games and averaged 3.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Junior guard Quentin Diboundje was next, choosing to transfer for the second time in his college career, first leaving the University of Tennessee with Schwartz, and now ECU. Diboundje’s season was also riddled with injuries, as he dealt with an ankle injury most of the season and was in and out of the lineup towards the end of the season.

Diboundje averaged 6.8 points and 2.4 rebounds over 17 games. He had eight starts. Diboundje had a career-best performance against Georgia Southern University on Nov. 20, making 7-of-10 three-pointers and scoring 27 points. Diboundje had two further double-digit games this season, scoring 13 at George Mason and 13 at FAU, before his injury.

Former Iowa State University guard Jaden Walker was the next Pirate to enter the transfer portal this offseason. Walker appeared in 32 games for the Pirates this season, playing both at point guard and off the ball. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound player started 12 of the final 14 games of the season, averaging 5.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Walker has one year of eligibility remaining