UMass forward Seth Berger transferring to Oregon State

By MATT VAUTOUR

@MattVautourDHG

Published: 04-09-2017 9:22 PM

As was expected, Seth Berger is following his fellow juniors out of UMass.

The Seattle native is transferring to Oregon State for his final season. Berger will have his degree at the end of the semester, allowing him to take advantage of the NCAA’s graduate transfer rule, which allows players who have completed their undergraduate requirements with athletic eligibility remaining to transfer without sitting out. He announced his intention on Instagram:

“Looking forward to starting next season with Oregon State Men’s basketball! Thankful to UMass for my 4 years but excited to start another journey. Go Minutemen and Go Beavers!”

Berger is the third player to transfer since the season ended, following Zach Lewis and Zach Coleman. All three will be eligible right away with one year left to play. Fellow junior Donte Clark has put his name into the NBA draft but didn’t sign with an agent. He said he’ll determine whether to return or transfer after he decides whether to stay in the draft. The deadline to withdraw is May 24.

C.J. Anderson is the only remaining junior on the roster. 

Berger started 16 games, but his minutes wildly fluctuated this past season. He averaged 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 10.2 minutes per game.

He played just eight games as a sophomore in 2014-15, allowing him to take a medical redshirt.

New coach Matt McCall has at least three scholarships to offer.

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Quinnipiac freshman guard Peter Kiss, who is also looking at St. John’s and Seton Hall, met with McCall Saturday according to multiple reports. The 6-foot-5 New York native was UMass big man Chris Baldwin’s high school teammate at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg. Kiss averaged 13.3 points and 2.8 assists and was named to the Metro Atlantic All-Rookie team.

His backcourtmate Mikey Dixon, the MAAC Freshman of the Year is also looking at UMass after announcing his intention to transfer after coach Tom Moore was fired.

Juwan Durham, a 6-foot-11 power forward, is one of a handful of players transferring out of UConn. The Tampa native has UMass on his list among several ACC schools, Northwestern and Butler.

Point guard Stephan Jiggetts, a graduate transfer from Fairleigh Dickinson, is also looking at the Minutemen. The 6-foot-1 Maryland native averaged 13.5 points and 4.2 assists in 35.3 minutes per game.

Brion Whitely, a 6-foot-5 Sarasota native who ESPN ranks as a three-star recruit, had committed to UNC-Wilmington, but reopened his recruiting when coach Kevin Keatts left for N.C. State. Whitely told Prep Hoops Florida that UMass was in consideration in addition to a handful of mid-majors.

ASSISTANT COACHES — According to multiple sources, Peter Gash, who was an assistant on McCall’s staff at Chattanooga, will join him in the same capacity in Amherst. Rasheen Davis, a New York native who was an assistant at VCU each of the last two seasons, is likely to be added as well.

McCall’s staff is expected to be announced soon.

In addition to Bruiser Flint, Indiana also hired UCLA assistant Ed Schilling as an assistant coach. Schilling and Flint were both on UMass’ 1995-96 coaching staff under John Calipari.

Matt Vautour can be reached at mvautour@gazettenet.com. Get UMass coverage delivered in your Facebook news feed at www.facebook.com/GazetteUMassCoverage

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