HANOVER — Dartmouth College men’s basketball point guard Brendan Barry has entered the transfer portal, the Valley News has confirmed.
The senior entered his name into the NCAA’s transfer portal shortly after sustaining a season-ending hip injury in September, allowing for Barry to consider all his future options and talk with interested schools. While entering the transfer portal allows for schools to contact him, he still is allowed to return to the Big Green if he chooses to apply for a medical hardship through the Ivy League.
Barry was ranked No. 11 in a list of top available players in the portal in a recent ESPN.com story.
Barry averaged 13.2 points per game a season ago, finishing 11th in the Ancient Eight. He ranked 10th nationally in 3-point percentage (.445) and had an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.20, which led the Ivy League. He scored in double figures in 20 of his 30 contests.
Entering this season, his career 3-point shooting percentage of 45.4% was among the best for active Division I players. In his three seasons playing for the Big Green, Barry knocked down 159 treys.
The Dartmouth athletic department and Barry declined to comment for the article.
The 6-foot-2, 180-pound sharpshooter could draw keen interest from other programs because as a “graduate transfer,” he could play next season instead of sitting out a year, as he would have to if he transferred from Dartmouth without an undergraduate degree.
If Barry were to leave the Big Green, he would be the fourth player to transfer under fourth-year coach Dave McLaughlin. The most notable was Evan Boudreaux, who announced he would sit out on the eve of the 2017-18 season so he could play two years at a new school. He is now in his second season with the Big Ten’s Purdue, where he is averaging 4.3 points and just under 13 minutes per game.
In October 2018, the NCAA granted transferring athletes more rights. Athletes no longer need to seek permission from a school, or in some cases a coach, in order to pursue a transfer. And programs can no longer block undergraduates from transferring to certain schools.
For better or worse, the portal is now seen as a sort of free agency, allowing student athletes an escape hatch if they find themselves in undesirable circumstances.
If Barry chooses to stay in Hanover, he faces a complicated process.
Under the NCAA, athletes have five calendar years in which to play four seasons of competition. The five-year clock starts when you enroll as a full-time student at any college. The fifth year is designed to give student-athletes the chance to acclimate to the new level of competition and academics.
In many sports, players will sit out their freshmen years. The Ivy League, however, doesn’t allow so-called “redshirts” under the belief that its athletes should have the same college experience as other students. So for Barry to return to Dartmouth, he must apply through the athletic department’s compliance office for a medical hardship if he wishes to return. NCAA rules pertaining to medical hardships state that a player who has suffered a season-ending injury or illness must let the compliance office staff know as soon as possible, even if he’s unsure if a waiver will be pursued.
The Big Green has felt Barry’s absence on the court this season, as it ranks last in the Ivy League in scoring (64.6) and free-throw percentage (.656). Dartmouth is next to last in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.315).
While Dartmouth’s defense has improved, the team is currently on a seven-game losing streak and has opened Ivy play 0-4.
Sophomore Taurus Samuels was thrust into Barry’s role at point guard and has shown potential, but without Barry’s shooting prowess, the Big Green have been reliant on junior post player Chris Knight to lead the scoring.
Dartmouth visits Brown on Friday night.
Pete Nakos can be reached at pnakos@vnews.com.