Former Rutgers point guard Jerome Seagears has officially transferred to Auburn after announcing his intention to play for the Tigers May 1. Upon his arrival, Seagears will petition the NCAA for immediate eligibility, giving him the chance to play this upcoming season if he is successful.
Under NCAA transfer rules, a college transfer is required to sit-out for one full season, but the players have the right to appeal the rule on a case-by-case basis. Seagears was one of three players to transfer from Rutgers after head coach Mike Rice was fired for verbally abusing players. Seagears hopes that the controversy surrounding Rutgers and Rice will be enough for the NCAA to allow him immediate eligibility.
In his sophomore season, Seagears played in all 31 games and averaged 6.5 points in 27 minutes of play per game. He will be one of eight new players expected to join the team this year after three players from the 2012 season have left the team.
Auburn head coach Tony Barbee was excited to hear of Seagears announcement to transfer to Auburn earlier this month.
"He said it was like Christmas morning," Seagears told AuburnSports.com. "I think Auburn is a good situation. They are in rebuilding mode and I can help in that process to help us get where we want to be. I love the facilities and the supportive family."
The 6-foot-1 point guard hopes to help Auburn with his offensive skill set and believes his experience in the competitive Big East will help him make an immediate impact.
"I can make an impact and have a chance to play at Auburn and bring an extra quality to the team," he said. "I want to bring Auburn a winning tradition like they had when Chris Porter was here. The Big East is night in, night out competition. There are great teams. I'm bringing that competitive edge to Auburn and hope to get some players to follow along."
Seagears says with the help of the Auburn fan base, he believes the basketball team can turn around.
"The fans need to know the support will count big-time," said Seagears. "The more support, the better the outcome will be. They will get to know me, outgoing guy with good characteristics and I'm ready to change the program around."
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