Angelo Chol to Transfer From Arizona, Is a WCC Team a Possible Landing Spot?

Mar 23, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Harvard Crimson forward Jonah Travis (24), Arizona Wildcats forward Angelo Chol (30) and Crimson guard Laurent Rivard (0) battle for position in the first half of the game during the third round of the NCAA basketball tournament at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports

Angelo Chol, a 6’9″ power forward formally of the University of Arizona, is looking to transfer to another school to carry out his last two years of eligibility. San Diego sports writer Mark Zeigler broke the news on twitter this afternoon:

Chol saw his role in the Wildcats front court diminish as his time as a Wildcat progressed. His minutes per game dropped from 12.1 as a freshman to 8.5 as a sophomore. Part of that was due to the additions of freshman big men Kaleb Tarczewsi, Brandon Ashley, and Grant Jerrett. The minutes were scarce once these uber talented players appeared in Tuscon. Although Jerrett is leaving for the NBA,  Tarczewski and Ashley are returning, and the Wildcats are gaining Matt Korcheck from his redshirt season and bringing in blue chip recruit Aaron Gordon. Chol’s future as a Wildcat looked more and more bleek, so he decided to transfer.

Chol and the University put out a statement around 8PM Pacific Time:

"“After much consideration and several conversations with both Coach Miller and my family, I have decided to transfer to another university,” said Chol. “I believe this change will put me in a better situation to earn more playing time and a starting role elsewhere. I have enjoyed my time in Tucson and want to thank my teammates, coaching staff and the fans for their support.”"

Playing time was the biggest issue for Chol, as evident by that statement. The sophomore forward only averaged 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game this season. He struggled mightily on the offensive end, but made up for it by being a high energy player and shot blocker. A year off, due to the NCAA transfer rules, could help Chol  develop on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

According to multiple reports, Chol’s most likely destinations next year are either San Diego State or Gonzaga. Chol is a native of San Diego, California, so SDSU would make a lot of sense. However, it appears that Mark Few and his staff has took a high interest in Chol. Both SDSU and Gonzaga are both in contention for the services of 5th year transfer Josh Davis from Tulane as well, so it will be interesting to see how the  transfer recruitment period pans out for these two teams.