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Transfer Target Chaundee Brown Chooses Michigan

Gonzaga will need to shift its attention elsewhere.

NCAA Basketball: ACC Tournament-Wake Forest vs Pittsburgh Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

Chaundee Brown was a late addition to the transfer market at the end of April when he announced his intention to leave Wake Forest following Danny Manning’s termination as head coach. After a few weeks in the portal, the rising senior announced on Twitter that he will be transferring to Michigan.

When he announced his intent to transfer, the 6’5” guard indicated he was exploring the NBA Draft but also quickly narrowed down his list of potential transfer destinations to Gonzaga, Iowa State, LSU, and Illinois. Sometime during the interim weeks Michigan and Juwan Howard came knocking on Brown’s door and made his final three (along with Gonzaga and Illinois) which suggested that Ann Arbor would be his final destination.

Brown, a former top-40 recruit out of Florida and three-year starter at Wake Forest, will need to sit one season before playing out his final year of eligibility in 2021-22. Brown averaged 12.1 ppg and 6.5 rpg for the Demon Deacons as a junior.

While a player of Brown’s profile would have been nice to have in 2021 to pair alongside a sophomore Dominick Harris (assuming Jalen Suggs is a one-and-done and Ayayi turns pro after next season), the Zags still have plenty of time to fill out their future backcourt.

Indeed, the Gonzaga staff could immediately focus its energy on 6’2” guard Mac McClung who announced he was leaving Georgetown last week after withdrawing from the NBA Draft and has two years of eligibility remaining. Gonzaga, along with a host of other schools, reportedly reached out to McClung immediately after he entered the transfer portal. McClung, a 6’2” guard who has never seen a shot he didn’t want to take, indicated he would apply for a waiver from the NCAA in order to be immediately eligible. While such waivers have been much easier to obtain as of late, I’m skeptical that McClung will be granted one as his departure seems to clearly be related to differences with the Georgetown coaching staff rather than a coaching change or personal/family matter.

Whether it’s McClung, another transfer, or an addition to the Class of 2021, Gonzaga will be just fine.