Lynn WorthyChris Seeley announced on Friday night that he intends to transfer from the Utah men’s basketball program.
An athletic 6-foot-8 forward from Fresno, Calif., Seeley had been regarded as the most athletic frontcourt player on Utah’s roster. He played in 20 games this season after sitting out last season as a redshirt.
Seeley missed 10 games during nonconference play in December when he had gallbladder surgery and a follow-up procedure. In 20 games this past season, he averaged 2.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game while shooting 43.5 percent in 7.5 minutes per game.
He’d shown flashes of potential, such as his nine-point, seven-rebound performance in 19 minutes off the bench at UCLA. However, Seeley’s playing time fluctuated as a reserve behind seniors David Collette and Tyler Rawson, sophomore Jayce Johnson and freshman Donnie Tillman.
“I have nothing but love for my teammates, fans, the university and the city,” Seeley wrote in a post on Twitter. “ After discussing with my family, at this time I have decided to ask for my release and explore other opportunities.”
He also thanked the coaching staff for welcoming him to the “Utah Ute family.”
The Utes were already losing four scholarship seniors in guard Justin Bibbins, wing Gabe Bealer, and forwards Collette and Rawson to graduation.
On Friday, former walk-on Jake Connor announced he’d play his final season of eligibility at Westminster College. Connor is the son of Utes associate head coach Tommy Connor, who served as Westminster’s coach from 1999 to 2011.
The Utes announced the addition of 6-foot-11 forward Lahat Thioune to its recruiting class on Wednesday, joinging wing Timmy Allen, forward Riley Battin, guard Naseem Gaskin and guard Charles Jones Jr. in a five-person group.
Lynn began working at The Salt Lake Tribune in 2017 after working for a trio of newspapers on the East Coast. He has covered Utah State and the Salt Lake Bees, and now covers University of Utah sports.