Boise State basketball to land SMU transfer, a guard from Australia

Tom Wilson, who started this season as a freshman guard on the SMU basketball team, intends to transfer to Boise State, he confirmed with the Idaho Statesman via text message Monday.

ESPN’s Jeff Goodman broke the news Saturday.

Wilson said he requested his release from SMU on Monday and said he intends to enroll at Boise State later this week. He left the Mustangs’ basketball team on Dec. 21 after stating his desire to transfer, according to the SMU media relations department.

The 6-foot-4, 170-pounder from Melbourne, Australia, was a 3-star recruit in the class of 2016, according to Rivals.com. He held offers from Connecticut, Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, Davidson and Boise State coming out of the Australian Institute of Sports, before ultimately choosing SMU.

“I have had a great relationship with Boise these last few years throughout the recruiting process and always felt like they would be a good fit for me,” Wilson said. “When I made the decision to leave SMU, my choice of Boise was made easy because of my relationships with (assistant coach) John Rillie and (head coach) Leon Rice, and also the past success they have had developing Aussie players.”

Per NCAA transfer rules, Wilson would have to sit out a year before being eligible to play at Boise State. If he enrolls this spring, he will be eligible to play once the 2017 fall semester ends on Dec. 15. The spring semester started Monday, but according to Boise State’s academic website, students have until Jan. 23 to add classes without having to withdraw.

This story was originally published January 9, 2017 at 4:28 PM with the headline "Boise State basketball to land SMU transfer, a guard from Australia."