'Some things don't work out': Former Denmark star and UWGB freshman Donavan Short enters NCAA transfer portal

GREEN BAY – Former Denmark basketball star Donavan Short had plenty of dreams about playing for his hometown college team the last few years.

None of them ended like the way it did Thursday.

The 6-foot-10 true freshman center entered the Phoenix locker room for the final time after putting his name into the NCAA transfer portal.

It was the same room he walked into back in June, a wide-eyed rookie excited to see that he had his own chair and a little cubbyhole filled with Phoenix gear.

Short looked up that day and saw a name plate above his locker with his name, number and hometown staring back at him.

He was excited beyond words.

Less than 10 months later, he wasn’t even sure his key card to the locker room would work anymore. It’s his first time in the portal, and he was a bit worried he’d be locked out and denied access.

But the door opened, and he walked in with good friend and Phoenix team manager Tyler Olsen to gather his belongings.

Olsen took off the nameplate for Short. If it wasn’t real yet, it was now.

“I was like, ‘Damn,’ ” Short said. “It was tough. As much as I love Green Bay and would like to help this program, some things don’t work out.”

It never was likely the Phoenix team that completed the worst season in program history earlier this month would be the same one that takes the floor in the fall under new coach Sundance Wicks.

Short is one of eight scholarship players who already have entered the portal, a list that includes forwards Cade Meyer and Clarence Cummings III and guards Zae Blake, Nate Jenkins, Davin Zeigler, Randy Tucker and Garren Davis, although Cummings appears to have a solid chance of returning to the team.

While some players decide they want to seek a fresh start after a coaching change, Short doesn’t necessarily fit into that category.

Even after former coach Will Ryan was fired in January, Short remained open to returning and fulfilling his goal of helping rebuild a program that has gone 16-71 the last three seasons.

He was excited by the YouTube video he watched of Wicks after he was hired March 14 and liked him when Wicks had a Zoom call with the team that night.

Wicks and Short are much the same in the energy they bring, so much they’d make a Red Bull addict blush.

Wicks sat down with Short for individual player meetings during his first week on the job, and the two eventually started to talk about hoops and what Short thought about UWGB.

“I came here for a reason,” Short said he told Wicks. “I had other offers that I could have went to. I could have jumped into the portal right when the season ended, but I didn’t. Just because the head coach changed doesn’t mean the reasons why I (came here) have. I said I grew up around this program and I wanted to be part of it, and the same reason still exists. I want to help turn this thing around.”

Short said Wicks followed with something that surprised him.

“He said, ‘You know, if you do enter the portal, a lot of coaches would be into 6-10 people. They’d be feeding over that,’ ” Short said.

Short was curious about that statement.

“Later in the thing, he said, ‘I am going to put you through a trial, and if you get through this trial and I like you, I will keep you,’ ” Short said. “I gave myself about a day to think about everything without any outside influence and what I truly thought about the situation only coming from me and my thoughts.

“I was like, ‘How the (heck) am I supposed to give 110% to the season and program that is putting me through a trial to see if they even want me? How am I supposed to do that?’ After weighing it more, I was like, ‘Even if I do make it through this and he cuts me after the trial, I have maybe three, four days left to do the whole portal situation.’ ”

Short was asked whether he considered Wicks might be doing this to test the players, to perhaps see if they were scared to put in the work with no promises given after a 3-29 season in which nobody should feel comfortable.

After all, it probably would be a bad look to future recruits if a coach cut a player in late spring if they hadn’t broken rules or gotten into trouble.

Short considered that, but he also knew meetings with some of his other teammates went a bit different and that possible roles were discussed.

He just couldn’t take the chance. His mother always has told him to control what he can control, and sometimes there are things out of his control.

“I have got to do what’s best for me,” Short said “I have got nothing against Coach Sundance as a person. Not at all. Great guy. Energy guy. Love him. Love him as a person. But when it comes down to it, I couldn’t find it in myself to try and muster up energy for a place that I don’t even know wants me. My big thing is I don’t know if I can give 110% for someone who may or may not want me.”

Wicks is supportive of the players who have elected to depart.

“I wish nothing but the best to the young men that have entered the portal and endured hard times while playing for the Phoenix,” Wicks said. “Everyone in our program has a chance to do what they feel is best for themselves when I got the job. I respect each and every one of their personal decisions and wish them well in their next chapter.”

Short said he already has received about 12 to 13 messages from interested schools.

He isn’t ruling out playing at either the DI or DII level, saying it will be all about the fit and feeling like a team wants him.

Short played in 23 games and started one as a true freshman this season – he missed several contests with a knee injury – averaging 2.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.2 minutes.

He leaves his hometown team wishing it would have turned out differently but still wanting the same thing he did when he arrived: For the Phoenix to return to its winning ways.

“Man, I hope so,” Short said. “They have got good freshmen coming in, Cal (Klesmit), Marcus (Hall) and Mac (Wrecke). I wish them all the best. I will still be watching the games. I hope they do. I really hope they do. It depends on if the people they bring in are going to be bought in, and I feel like Coach Sundance is going to be good at that.”

This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Former Denmark star and UWGB freshman Donavan Short enters NCAA transfer portal