Utah State’s Knight III Set to Transfer

Utah State sophomore guard John Knight III will be transferring from the men’s basketball program, the Utah Statesman confirmed Monday morning.

News of the transfer was first reported by Stadium Network’s Jeff Goodman, then subsequently confirmed through sources by the Utah Statesman. Knight III came to Utah State prior to this season, transferring from Southwest Mississippi Community College where he played the 2017-18 season.

This season at Utah State, he played ten games for the Aggies while averaging 17.7 minutes per game.

Knight III never started a game for USU, but was a key contributor coming off of the bench, averaging 7.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.2 steals per game. While he was a player the coaches often used to bring off the bench and bring a spark to the team, Knight III didn’t make an appearance in any of the past three games for the Aggies.

When asked about Knight’s availability during that stretch, USU head coach Craig Smith said it was due to a “coaches’ decision.”

In one year at SMCC, Knight finished third on the team in scoring with 14.3 points per game and led the team in blocks and blocks per game. With Utah State splitting minutes between multiple point guards this season, Knight III looked poised to make an impact in the role. Out of three point guards to play nine minutes or more per game this season, Knight was leading the team in nearly every statistical category including scoring, rebounding, steals, and assists.

It is still unconfirmed which school Knight III will transfer to, but according to NCAA rules if he were to go to another Division I program he would not be eligible to play for a full year.

According to the NCAA’s transfer guidelines, “under the basic transfer regulations, you must spend an academic year in residence at the school to which you are transferring. If you transfer from a four-year college to an NCAA school, you must complete one academic year in residence at the new school before you can play for or receive travel expenses from the new school, unless you qualify for a transfer exception or waiver.”

Utah State has gone 4-1 in games played without Knight III this season and 7-3 with him on the court, with losses coming to Arizona State, BYU, and Houston. Knight III is not required to stay at the university for the rest of the season, but is still unclear what his plans are for the immediate future.

Twitter: @dren_sports