Froling transfers to Marquette, Wilson to Boise State
After recently declaring they would be transferring away from SMU, Australian junior National Team representatives Harry Froling and Tom Wilson have committed to new schools, with Froling committing to Marquette and Wilson with Boise State.
When Froling and Wilson committed to SMU, it was while legendary coach Larry Brown was in charge. Brown was a major factor in their decision to originally commit. Coupled with a lack of playing time and opportunity, they decided to leave SMU.
Froling joins his new school for the commencement of second semester next week, and will be eligible to play after the conclusion of first semester finals for the 2017-18 season. He will be a sophomore when he finally takes to the court for the Golden Eagles and maintain 2.5 seasons of eligibility. However according to a report by Olgun Uluc of Fox Sports Australia, the 6'10 big man is likely to appeal to the NCAA, with the hopes of becoming eligible for the entirety of his sophomore year.
https://twitter.com/MarquetteMBB/status/819314973415534592
Widely touted as having NBA potential, Froling was rated as one of the top 5 incoming Australian freshman entering Division I ranks this season alongside Wilson. Froling was averaging 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 14.6 minutes across 10 games.
Froling represented Australia at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championship in Dubai, averaging 7.1 ppg and 3.1 rpg as a key player off the bench. He was surprisingly omitted from the 2015 Australian U19 team.
Hailing from a talented basketball family, Froling's twin sisters enrolled at SMU, with Keely choosing to withdraw to return home to Australia after the 2015-16 season. Alicia continues to be a dominant player on the Mustang's women's program. Younger brother Sam Froling, a talented prospect in his own right, will be playing in the Queensland U18 State Championships next week.
https://twitter.com/MarquetteMBB/status/819640246509780992
As reported by Olgun Uluc, since decided to transfer, the 6'4 Wilson visited Valparaiso and Boise State before deciding on the latter. Wilson's transfer to Boise State guarantee's the recent history of Australian's gracing the floor at Taco Bell Arena in Boise will continue next season, and that association was a key reason for his decision on becoming a Bronco.
“I have had a great relationship with Boise these last few years throughout the recruiting process and always felt like they would be a good fit for me,” Wilson advised Michael Katz of the Idaho Statesmen.
“When I made the decision to leave SMU, my choice of Boise was made easy because of my relationships with (assistant coach) John Rillie and (head coach) Leon Rice, and also the past success they have had developing Aussie players.”
Wilson is expected to enrol at Boise State this week, ensuring he will be eligible to play play once the 2017 fall semester ends on 15 December (US). While not yet confirmed, Wilson could also follow Froling's lead in appealing to the NCAA to play the entire 2017/18 season.
https://twitter.com/OlgunUluc/status/817933621302423553
Senior forward Nick Duncan is currently the lone Australian playing with the Broncos following Anthony Drmic's graduation last season. Wilson only saw 6.1 minutes across 10 games this season for averages of 1.6 points and 1 rebound per game.
Wilson has a long resume, including appearances at NBA Basketball Without Borders events and a MVP performance at the 2016 U20 Australian Junior Championships. Furthermore, Wilson has represented Australia at the 2014 FIBA U17 World Championships and the 2015 FIBA U19 World Championships, an event in which he scored 23 points in the gold medal games against USA.