Published: 4/23/2017 8:11:36 PM
UMass got a potential starting guard, and Jaylen Brantley got a homecoming.
Brantley, a graduate transfer from Maryland, told both ESPN and CBS that he plans to complete his career at UMass.
The 5-foot-11 point guard from Springfield will have his undergraduate degree at the end of the semester, making him eligible immediately with one year left to play.
Brantley played at Central, Notre Dame Prep and Wilbraham & Monson in high school. He initially committed to Marshall but ended up going to junior college instead, playing at Odessa (Texas) Community College for one season. He went from there to Maryland.
As a Terrapin, he averaged 4.9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist in 16.8 minutes per game backing up All-American Melo Trimble. He shot 38.6 percent from 3-point range. He scored in double figures seven times as a junior.
After losing transfers DeJon Jarreau, Zach Lewis, Seth Berger, Zach Coleman, Brison Gresham and potentially Donte Clark, Brantley gives the Minutemen a game-ready guard who can join Luwane Pipkins, C.J. Anderson and Unique McLean in the UMass backcourt.
New coach Matt McCall is expected to try to add more immediately eligible players while also pursuing younger transfers who have to sit out the 2017-18 season.
Brantley joins big man Chris Baldwin as Springfield natives on the UMass roster.
Fairfield transfer Curtis Cobb, who’ll sit out this year, also went to Wilbraham. Like Cobb, Brantley played AAU for the BABC. They mark UMass’ first players from the often talent-rich AAU program since Anthony Gurley.