South Alabama basketball player Jamar Franklin says he’s entering NCAA transfer portal

South Alabama basketball player Jamar Franklin says he’s entering NCAA transfer portal

South Alabama basketball player Jamar Franklin is set to enter the NCAA transfer portal, he announced Friday night.

Franklin, a freshman from Rockledge, Fla., played in 32 games with three starts for the Jaguars in 2022-23. He averaged 4.6 points and 12.7 minutes per game, but had seven double-digit scoring games — including a 15-point effort against Southern Miss on Feb. 16.

Franklin, who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, announced his decision via social media:

Franklin is the third South Alabama player to leave the team for the portal since the end of the season, joining forwards Diante Smith and Tyler Shirley. Undergraduates have until May 11 to inform their schools they wish to transfer.

South Alabama went 19-16 in 2022-23, reaching the championship game of the Sun Belt tournament. Coach Richie Riley’s Jaguars entered the offseason with four scholarships available, but signed four transfers — forward Thomas Howell (Louisiana-Monroe) and guards Isiah Gaiter (Assumption), Maxwell Land (St. Francis) and Samuel Tabe (Seton Hill).

With Franklin’s departure, South Alabama now has one scholarship remaining for next season. One Jaguars target — former Arkansas forward Barry Dunning — announced Friday he was transferring to UAB.