Eli Boettger | @boettger_eli | 05/08/20
Welcome back to Three Things!
The intention of Three Things is simple: Keeping you informed. The offseason can be a busy time and college basketball isn’t always on everyone’s radars from April to October.
Here’s how it will work: Every morning, Monday through Friday, we will provide you with three things that you need to know from the previous day. Pretty simple, right? You’ll be amazed by your new college basketball wisdom!
Here are the three things you need to know for May 8.
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Jose Perez commits
Talented Gardner Webb transfer Jose Perez made his college choice on Thursday, selecting Marquette over Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa State and Memphis. Perez averaged 15.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this past season.
The sophomore will be forced to sit out a year as a redshirt due to NCAA transfer rules. Perez joins former Ohio State guard D.J. Carton as the second sit-out transfer on the ’20-21 Marquette roster.
ETSU loses top player
Just hours after East Tennessee State announced that former assistant Jason Shay will succeed Steve Forbes as the new Buccaneers head coach, the program suffered a major setback. Bo Hodges — who was set to be the team’s top returning scorer next season — has put his name in the transfer portal.
Hodges is a 6-5, 210-pound junior guard who averaged 12.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game last season and is a two-time all-SoCon player. The Tennessee native will now look for a new team for his final season of college eligibility.
Nonconference showcases released
A handful of noteworthy early-season showcases were unveiled Friday. Stadium’s Jeff Goodman reported that the Jimmy V Classic at the Madison Square Garden in December will feature Baylor taking on Rutgers and Gonzaga battling Tennessee. Each of the four teams expect to be ranked in the preseason AP top 25 poll.
24/7Sports’ Evan Daniels also reported the field for 2020 Holiday Hoopsgiving. The two-date showcase will be played at State Farm Arena with Kentucky playing Georgia Tech on November 27 and a quadruple-header on December 12: Clemson vs. Alabama, LSU vs. South Florida, Memphis vs. Auburn and Mississippi State vs. Dayton.
Eli Boettger is a college basketball writer and founder of HeatCheckCBB.com. He has previously worked for Sporting News, DAZN and USA TODAY SMG.
Boettger’s content has been featured by Bleacher Report, NBC Sports, FiveThirtyEight, Yahoo Sports, Athletic Director University, Washington Post, Illinois Law Review and Notre Dame Law Review, among other publications. Boettger is also a current USBWA member and Rockin’ 25 voter.