Eniel Polynice, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound wing from Sarasota, Fla., has decided to transfer to Seton Hall from Ole Miss and expects to be eligible to suit up immediately next season.
“I decided to pick Seton Hall because of the coaching staff,” Polynice said Wednesday by phone. “Coach [Kevin] Willard and Coach Dan McHale. I decided it was a great situation and a good opportunity to play in the Big East.”
Polynice also visited Xavier and Nebraska.
Polynice played in 33 games with 25 starts last season at Ole Miss. He averaged 8.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and a team-high 3.9 assists in 24.9 minutes per game.
Polynice declared for the NBA Draft, but didn’t hire an agent.
He graduated from Ole Miss and finished his career ranked ninth all-time with 319 assists. He became the third player in school history with 700 career points, 300 rebounds and 300 assists.
He spent four seasons at the SEC school, sitting out 2008-09 after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee.
Because Ole Miss doesn’t have a communications program and Seton Hall does, Seton Hall will submit a waiver and Polynice expects to be eligible to play immediately.
“Yes, I will be able to play right away,” he said. “I’m going to a graduate program that Ole Miss doesn’t have.”
Polynice initially chose Ole Miss over Southern California, N.C. State and Oklahoma.
He joins fellow Seton Hall newcomers Fuquan Edwin, Anali Okoloji and Patrick Auda.
Along with the return of Jordan Theodore, Jeremy Hazell, Jeff Robinson and possibly Herb Pope, if he is healthy enough, the Pirates should be able to contend for the top half of the Big East.
ST. FRANCIS ANNOUNCES RECRUITING CLASS
St. Francis (NY) head basketball coach Glenn Braica announced that five student-athletes will join the Terriers in the fall of 2010. 6-0 lead guard Dre Calloway (Harlem, NY), 6-4 swingman Travis Nichols (Brooklyn, NY), 6-0 combination guard Adam Chmielewski (Montreal, Canada), 6-8 power forward Matt Milk (Wantagh, NY), and 6-2 shooting guard Ben Mockford (Shoreham-by-Sea, England) will comprise Braica’s first recruiting class as the Terriers’ head coach.
“I feel fortunate that we were able to bring in such a talented group during the late signing period,” said Braica. “I have to credit my staff for their hard work in helping to bring these guys on board. With the exception of Mockford (will sit out due to NCAA transfer rules), I expect all of them to challenge for significant minutes next season.”
FREE THROWS
Former Oregon forward Jamil Wilson has transferred to Marquette and will have three years of eligibility remaining…Former Rutgers big man Brian Okam has landed at Appalachian State….John Dunne has hired former WNBA and college assistant Bruce Hamburger to his St. Peter’s College staff.
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