BC Men’s Basketball: Where Are They Now?
Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom)
Publisher
Entering the 2020-21 season, 12 Boston College players recruited by then-head coach Jim Christian had transferred from the program. Then, after Christian was fired in his seventh season, five more Eagles hit the transfer portal.
Where did those five go and how are they doing? And what about some of the others that left Chestnut Hill and are still hooping?
Here’s a rundown:
Vin Baker Jr.: Transferred to Milwaukee
2021-22: 8 GP, 12.4 mins, 36% FG, 12.5% 3FG, 3.4 pts
Vin Baker Jr., the son of NBA player Vin Baker, appeared in 41 games in two seasons with the Eagles. He was part of BC’s 2017 recruiting class and averaged 7.2 minutes per contest in 2017-18. His best outing was an 11-point performance in a road win at Pitt. Baker was even less of a factor the following year. Both seasons, he shot under 35% from the field in limited action. He opted for the transfer portal and committed to Milwaukee yet had to sit out last season. Baker piled up 11 points in this year's opener against North Dakota but, since, has sniffed that mark only once.
Jairus Hamilton: Transferred to Maryland, then Western Kentucky
2021-22: 8 GP, 30.5 mins, 51.4% FG, 35.1% 3FG, 5.1 rebs. 1.1 stls, 17.3 pts
Jairus Hamilton was supposed to be the next big thing at BC. He was BC’s most highly-touted recruit since Craig Smith. But Hamilton didn’t help lead the Eagles to the Sweet Sixteen or even the NCAA Tournament. In two years with the program, he scored 20-plus points one time. Although he flashed glimpses of superstar talent, the 6-foot-8 forward favored the 3-point line more than the paint despite his imposing frame and wasn’t much of a threat on the glass. His brother, Jared, actually gave Jairus a run for his money in 2019-20, averaging just 1.7 fewer points per game than him.
Hamilton transferred to Maryland that offseason and started five games for a Terrapins team that made the NCAA Tournament as a 10 seed. He was primarily a role player for UMD, averaging 20.5 minutes and 6.5 points per game. But he shot an efficient 44.9% from the floor, including 43% from distance. It was a one-year stay in College Park for Hamilton, though, as he transferred again. This time to Western Kentucky, where he’s emerged as the Hilltoppers leading scorer. He’s already turned in three 20-point games.
Julian Rishwain: Transferred to San Francisco
2021-22: 10 GP, 18.8 mins, 52.1% FG, 56.8% 3FG, 3.2 rebs, 7.6 pts
Julian Rishwain is carving out a nice role for himself on a sneaky good San Francisco team that’s currently 10-0 and rated 35th nationally by KenPom. The 6-foot-5 guard is a rotational piece and seems to finally have found a consistent stroke at the collegiate level. Rishwain has finished in double figures four times this season, most recently against UAB. He was up and down in his single season at BC (2019-20). Rishwain averaged more turnovers (1.2) than 3-pointers (1.0) per game that year. Of course, the player he’s turned into is the kind of marksman the Eagles could use badly right now.
Chris Herren Jr.: Transferred to San Diego, then Alabama
Chris Herren Jr.’s college career is one of its own. He reclassified and came to BC, where his father started before his Fresno State days. Herren was a preferred walk-on but earned a scholarship before Christmas during the 2018-19 season. He made an immediate impact, even starting eight games that year and appearing in all 31. He averaged 15.5 minutes and 4.2 points per game yet shot just 35.2% from the floor. Herren broke out with a 22-point outing against Fairfield. The next season, his playing time decreased, and he never finished in double figures. So he transferred to San Diego. But, four games into the 2020-21 season, Herren walked away from the sport and began transitioning to the gridiron.
Then he transferred to Alabama, where he walked on to the football team. Yes, Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide. Herren didn’t see the field this year but is in fact on the roster.
Wynston Tabbs: Transferred to East Carolina
There is always a big “what if” surrounding Wynston Tabbs. He showed flashes of All-ACC potential as a freshman in 2018-19. He earned a spot in the season-opening starting five and instantly helped soften the blow of Jerome Robinson’s departure, scoring 16 points in his collegiate debut. As an encore, he followed with 20.2 points per game over the next five contests, en route to receiving ACC Rookie of the Week honors. But, after he sank the game-sealing 3-pointer against then-No. 11 Florida State, Tabbs was sidelined with a left knee injury that’s given him fits since.
He had two surgeries to repair that knee, the second of which kept him out all of 2019-20. He missed 47 straight games before returning last season. The Suitland, Maryland, native appeared in 12 contests, averaging 13.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 rebounds in the process. He violated university COVID-19 protocols, however, and, subsequently, had to sit out the final stretch of the season. Tabbs hit the portal and ended up at East Carolina, where he has yet to play because of…more knee problems.
CJ Felder: Transferred to Florida
2021-22: 9 GP, 14.1 mins, 52% FG, 27.3% 3FG, 3.0 rebs, 3.7 pts
CJ Felder probably would have been a great fit for Earl Grant’s defensive system. He was a bright spot on that end of the court for the Eagles last year. Felder’s long arms helped him average 2.2 blocks and 1.0 steals per game. He also averaged 9.7 points and 5.9 rebounds. The 6-foot-7 forward took a noticeable step forward from his freshman year, extending his shooting range. He logged a season-high 24 points in a one-point loss to Duke, where he was 4-of-6 from deep. Later that season, Felder stitched together a 17-14 double-double in a defeat to Wake Forest.
He’s found a new home for himself coming off the bench for Florida. Felder, now a junior, is hovering around 14 minutes a game. His best performance so far was a 10-point, five-rebound outing in a win over Ohio State.
Jay Heath: Transferred to Arizona State
2021-22: 8 GP, 24.4 mins, 33.9% FG, 45.5% 3FG, 2.3 rebs, 1.1 asst, 8.9 pts
Jay Heath and Tabbs had the makings of a top-five ACC backcourt, but they never put it together. Of course, Tabbs’ availability was a significant reason why. Heath started all but one of his 50 games in an Eagles uniform and averaged north of 13 points per game both seasons while shooting at or above 35% from beyond the arc. Heath set a new BC freshman record with 65 made 3-pointers. He was a major part of the Eagles’ signature ACC wins that season, like when he scored 18 in the season opener against Wake Forest and piled up 17 in an upset victory over then-No. 18 Virginia. Heath led the Eagles in scoring last season, registering five games with 20 or more points, including a season-best 28 against Florida State.
Heath has been coming off the bench for Arizona State. He’s still efficient from deep, except he hasn’t had the shot making ability elsewhere. The Sun Devils are just 4-6 through 10 games.
Rich Kelly: Transferred to UMass
2021-22: 10 GP, 30.7 mins, 43.5% FG, 47.1% 3FG, 3.8 asst, 0.9 stls, 12.7 pts
Rich Kelly continues to make his New England tour. After three solid years with Quinnipiac, Kelly made the move to BC. In his lone season in Chestnut Hill, the 6-foot-1 guard started seven of 16 games he played in and averaged 11 points per contest while shooting 37.2% from 3-point land. Kelly’s most notable performance was a 27-point outing in a resounding win over Miami. He was 7-of-12 from long range in the victory. Since transferring to UMass, Kelly has been a valuable piece for the Minutemen. He’s a regular in their starting lineup and just went off for 25 points with six 3-pointers in a loss to Northeastern.
Kamari Williams: Transferred to Miami (Ohio)
2021-22: 8 GP, 13.9 mins, 44.1% FG, 21.1% 3FG, 3.4 rebs, 5.1 pts
Kamari Williams came to BC with an intriguing skill set and showcased some promise early (his 14-point game against Miami in 2019-20 comes to mind). But the lanky, 6-foot-7 forward didn’t average more than 12.4 minutes per game in either of his years on the Heights and ultimately transferred to Miami (Ohio). He’s a bench player there, too, but he’s etching his name into the box score more often. Williams is finally shooting above 40% and chipping in 5.1 points per game.
