Okay, here’s a breakdown of the athletes listed, categorized by the sport they played at Nevada and their transfer destination, along with a brief summary of their impact/outcome:
men’s Basketball
Nick Davidson (Clemson): Two-time all-Conference player who transferred after being developed by Nevada. Will finish his career in the ACC.
Jordan Brown (Arizona/Louisiana/Memphis): Highly-touted recruit (McDonald’s All-American) who Nevada struggled to integrate into the team. Didn’t reach his potential after transferring.
Darrion Williams (Texas Tech/North Carolina State): MW Freshman of the Year who lead Nevada to the NCAA Tournament. Became a highly-paid player after transferring; potentially could have been a dominant force for Nevada.
Men’s Golf
Justin Kim (SMU): Dominated in 2023-24, winning three consecutive individual tournaments (a program record). Ranked 100th nationally at SMU, significantly higher then Nevada’s top golfer.
Joey Vrzich (Pepperdine): helped Nevada to NCAA Regional berths. Thrived at Pepperdine, earning All-American honors and winning a national title.Football
Daiyan Henley (washington State): Started as a wide receiver, moved to secondary, then settled at linebacker. Became an All-American and NFL draft pick at Washington State after transferring.
Women’s Basketball
Essence Booker (UNLV): Led Nevada in scoring as a sophomore. Led UNLV to four MW titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances – Nevada has never reached the NCAA Tournament.
Softball
Brooke bolinger (Texas): A significant recruit for Nevada, but transferred after one season following an assistant coach’s promotion.Had a successful career at Texas.
Key Themes/Observations from the Article:
Nevada as a Growth Program: Several players (Davidson, Williams, Henley) were developed at nevada and then went on to greater success elsewhere.
Transfer Portal Impact: The article highlights how the transfer portal can both benefit and harm a program. Nevada loses talent, but other programs benefit from it.
Unfulfilled Potential: Some transfers (Brown) didn’t pan out as expected, suggesting issues with team fit or coaching changes.
Coaching Changes: the departure of coaches (Norvell, Musselman, Taylor) ofen triggered transfers.
* Nevada’s Struggles: The article subtly points to Nevada’s lack of consistent success (no NCAA Tournament appearances in women’s basketball, still searching for a conference title in men’s basketball) as a reason players might seek opportunities elsewhere.
