Keno Davis combs transfer portal for potential future players
In the fandom that follows college basketball, all eyes are on Minneapolis, Minn. and the Final Four.
Meanwhile, Central Michigan men’s head coach Keno Davis is working to add players to his roster for the 2019-2020 season.
“There really is no time to sit back and relax,” Davis said.
Davis said that outside of making an NCAA Tournament bracket as part of his family competition, he wouldn’t be watching much March Madness.
Instead, he’s trying to keep up with the rest of the field of competition by recruiting transfer players.
“I don’t even think I’d call it ‘getting ahead,’” Davis said. “Every team not still playing is already looking to the future.”
By Davis’ estimate, roughly 1,000 student-athletes in men’s basketball are entering the transfer portal this offseason.
Redshirt sophomore center Innocent Nwoko has already declared that he is leaving Davis’ program, presumably in search of more playing time. While Nwoko’s departure was not unforeseen, his decision means that Davis has more to replace for the upcoming season.
In years past, Davis has been successful with bringing in players through the transfer portal that have made an immediate impact at CMU:
Rayshawn Simmons (2013-2016): The transfer from Moberly Area Community College appeared in all 31 games as a sophomore and was a captain of the team in both his junior and senior seasons. As a senior, the St. Louis, Missouri native averaged 12.6 points and 5.0 assists while leading the Chippewas to their second straight MAC West title.
Marcus Keene (2016-2017): In his lone season on the court as a Chippewa, the Youngstown State transfer led the nation in scoring by averaged a whopping 30.0 points per game, and was the first to average 30 points per game in NCAA Division I basketball in 20 years. Keene set CMU single-season records in five offensive categories: points (959), scoring average (30.0), 3-pointers made (125), 3-pointers attempted (340) and free throws made (208). He also averaged 4.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Shawn Roundtree, Jr. (2017-2019): A transfer from Missouri State and Mineral Area College, Roundtree found a place to call home in Davis’ program. In two seasons at CMU, Roundtree asserted himself as the team’s leader and was a consistent offensive threat, scoring over 1000 points for his career as a Chippewa. In his senior campaign, Roundtree averaged 16.6 points per game and scored in double digits in all but two of the games he played.
Larry Austin, Jr. (2018-2019): After bouncing from Xavier to Vanderbilt, Austin arrived in Mount Pleasant as a graduate transfer looking to make the most of his final year of eligibility. He certainly did so, averaging 17.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. Austin also set the program single-season record for assists (209) and steals (78) in his only season as a Chippewa.
Rob Montgomery (2018-2020): Montgomery played at St. Francis Brooklyn and Indian Hills Community College before becoming a Chippewa. In his first season at CMU, the junior asserted himself as the team’s most consistent big man, averaging 10.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. Heading into his senior year, Montgomery is expected to be a major contributor again for the Chippewas.
It remains to be seen whether Davis can pull in yet another catch from the pool of student-athletes in the transfer portal this offseason. Judging from Davis’ track record and work ethic to recruit transfers hard as soon as the Chippewas’ season drew to a close, the next transfer players to join the program may soon be on their way.
