David Collette will transfer to Utah, pay his own way for a year
The two-month battle between David Collette and Utah State has reached an outcome that likely won't fully satisfy either side.
Collette told Yahoo Sports on Tuesday that he will enroll at Utah next month and pay his own way for the next two semesters. The 6-foot-10 forward said he won't be eligible to play for the Utes until mid-December 2016.
"I chose [Utah] because it's close to home and it has in-state tuition," Collette told Yahoo Sports. "I can't really afford to take my family out of state when we're paying for me and my wife to go to school. This will be a lot cheaper."
The decision from Collette ends a saga that began when he blindsided Utah State last month by quitting the team two days before its season opener. Collette had been a projected starter for the Aggies after averaging 12.8 points and 5.0 rebounds as a redshirt freshman the previous season.
Utah State informed Collette in late November that it had denied his request for a release granting him and his family permission to speak with other schools. That restriction forbade Collette from having direct contact with any other Division I coaches and forced him to pay tuition on his own for two semesters at whichever school he chose.
The timing of Collette's decision to transfer was Utah State's primary frustration since it left the Aggies no time to find a replacement. In a Nov. 11 release announcing Collette's sudden departure, Utah State coach Tim Duryea also brought up the possibility of tampering by other schools, noting that it may have played a role in the unusual timing.
"I think there were a lot of factors in play that, unfortunately, have become a trend in college basketball of schools poaching other schools' players," Duryea said. "I don't feel good and don't like how things transpired."
Collette has vehemently denied that any other program influenced his decision by expressing interest directly to him or through a third party. He instead attributes his abrupt exit to a deteriorating relationship between him and Duryea, a longtime Utah State assistant who ascended to head coach when Stew Morrill retired last spring.
"I compare Utah State to a bitter ex-girlfriend," he told Yahoo Sports last month. "I feel like I broke up with Utah State and now she's doing everything she can to get back at me."
While Collette could not have contact with Utah coach Larry Krystkowiak and his staff since announcing his intent to transfer from Utah State, he's optimistic that the Utes program will be a better fit. Collette will join a frontcourt that is likely to lose 7-foot NBA prospect Jakob Poeltl but should return standout forwards Kyle Kuzma and Brekkott Chapman as well as promising center Jayce Johnson.
"I was actually recruited by Coach K out of high school, so I already had somewhat of a feel for him," Collette said. "I know he's a great coach and I would be honored to play for him."
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!