Austin McBroom, Jorddan Myrick granted transfer requests

Freshmen guards Jorddan Myrick and Austin McBroom were granted their official release from the Central Michigan men’s basketball program last week and will be able to transfer elsewhere.

“We won’t have everyone returning,” newly hired coach Keno Davis said about players leaving. “When you have a coaching change, let alone the coaching change that occurred here, it happens. There’s enough talent on this team returning that the guys returning are excited.”

McBroom started all but one game last season as the point guard. He averaged 10.9 points per game and a team-high 2.7 assists. The 6-foot guard from North Hollywood, Calif. was an all-MAC freshman player as he finished the season fifth in the conference for best free-throw percentage and 3-point percentage.

Myrick started one game while playing in 15. Against Pepperdine, he scored six points and snatched two rebounds while playing 14 minutes – all career highs. He went to West Ottawa high school in Holland.

Sophomore guard Trey Zeigler already transferred to Pittsburgh University after his father Ernie Zeigler was fired last month. With those three transfers, there will be only five returning guards next year. The day new coach Keno Davis was hired, freshman guard Austin Keel said he was still undecided if he would return or not. He said he wanted to sit down with Davis to help make a decision.

“We’ve met as a team, and had a couple of individual meetings in depth,” Davis said. “As I get a staff hired we’ll try to build those relationiships, so they know what is expected of them in the classroom and on the court.”

He would not comment on any particular player leaving.

“I don’t want to close the door on anybody,” Davis said. “Sometimes guys get emotional and change their mind, and that’s a part of being young – and old too. It’s not my job to close the door on their decision making.”

Myrick and McBroom had not attended off-season workouts.

“I don’t want kids that would rather be somewhere else and they’re not coming to their best offer,” Davis said. “(Those kids returning) they want to be here because they want to be at Central Michigan. That’s what I want to recruit, someone really excited about coming here.”

Saylor not returning

Zach Saylor will not be returning for his final year of eligibility next season. In 2010-11 he was inactive with an injury, but he’s scheduled to graduate in May and will not return to play next winter.

Saylor appeared in every game last season. He hit a game-tying jump shot against Charlotte to put the game in overtime. Against Iowa State he had a career-high eight points. His major was entrepreneurship.