Rountree to graduate, transfer from Wake Forest after three seasons
By Paul Durham Sports Editor
After three seasons as a member of the Wake Forest University men's basketball team, Wilson native Aaron Rountree is well ahead of the game academically.
Demon Deacons head coach Danny Manning announced Tuesday that Rountree, a Greenfield School graduate, will transfer from Wake Forest for his final season of eligibility, a decision made easier with his impending graduation a year early. Rountree will graduate in August with a degree in communication and a minor in economics. Rountree will be a graduate student wherever he lands.
"There was really no true mitigating factor that had me feel like I had to leave," Rountree said in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon. "Its just a change of scenery and a fresh start. Wake's strong academics and the fact that I took advantage of getting the most out of the classroom allowed me to take this opportunity.
"I'm proud that I'm going to get this degree and consider myself a Wake Forest alumnus."
Manning offered his support in a press release from Wake, saying: "Aaron is a great young man who has a successful future ahead of him. He informed me of his wishes to graduate early and finish his basketball career at another institution. I'm proud that Aaron will leave with a degree from Wake Forest, and I'm happy to support him in any way that I can."
Rountree said that he does not have a target as to where he will play his final season, only that, per NCAA rules, it cannot be at one of Wake Forest's fellow Atlantic Coast Conference schools or at a school that will play the Demon Deacons in the 2015-16 season. Because schedules have not been announced for next year, Rountree won't know which schools are on that list.
"There's no clearcut favorites right now. My recruitment just opened up today," he said. "It's just going to be like starting the recruiting process all over again."
Because he will be a grad student, he will not have to sit out a year. His situation is similar to that of his former Greenfield teammate Brian Richardson, who transferred from South Carolina after three seasons with the Gamecocks. But because Richardson hadn't completed his degree work at South Carolina, he had to sit out a year before playing at High Point University this season. Richardson started in 29 of 31 games for the Panthers, who claimed a share of the Big South Conference title.
"It was definitely something I thought about and looked at," Rountree said of Richardson's situation.
Rountree, a 6-foot-8 forward, worked his way into the starting rotation for the Demon Deacons until a broken hand in late December sidelined him for seven games. He finished with seven starts, averaging 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. Rountree had career averages of 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game over 87 games at Wake.
The Deacons went 43-53 in Rountree's three seasons with one winning season. Wake went 17-16 in 2013-14, the last for head coach Jeff Bzdelik, who recruited Rountree. That was a struggle for Rountree, who was used to winning and playing for championships at Greenfield.
"It's definitely drained me a little bit with all the losing," he said. "I hadn't lost much in my career and I definitely struggled with the losing but it's made me a better person."
The Associated Press reported that Rountree is the third member of his 2012-13 freshman class to transfer from Wake Forest, joining former teammates Tyler Cavanaugh (George Washington) and Arnaud William Adala Moto (Towson), who departed after last season.
While he plans to continue toward a graduate degree, Rountree hopes to make the most of his final season of college basketball and keep the door open to play professionally.
"I definitely want to get a chance to play professional basketball and keep the ball bouncing as long as possible," he assured.
By Paul Durham Sports Editor
After three seasons as a member of the Wake Forest University men's basketball team, Wilson native Aaron Rountree is well ahead of the game academically.
Demon Deacons head coach Danny Manning announced Tuesday that Rountree, a Greenfield School graduate, will transfer from Wake Forest for his final season of eligibility, a decision made easier with his impending graduation a year early. Rountree will graduate in August with a degree in communication and a minor in economics. Rountree will be a graduate student wherever he lands.
"There was really no true mitigating factor that had me feel like I had to leave," Rountree said in a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon. "Its just a change of scenery and a fresh start. Wake's strong academics and the fact that I took advantage of getting the most out of the classroom allowed me to take this opportunity.
"I'm proud that I'm going to get this degree and consider myself a Wake Forest alumnus."
Manning offered his support in a press release from Wake, saying: "Aaron is a great young man who has a successful future ahead of him. He informed me of his wishes to graduate early and finish his basketball career at another institution. I'm proud that Aaron will leave with a degree from Wake Forest, and I'm happy to support him in any way that I can."
Rountree said that he does not have a target as to where he will play his final season, only that, per NCAA rules, it cannot be at one of Wake Forest's fellow Atlantic Coast Conference schools or at a school that will play the Demon Deacons in the 2015-16 season. Because schedules have not been announced for next year, Rountree won't know which schools are on that list.
"There's no clearcut favorites right now. My recruitment just opened up today," he said. "It's just going to be like starting the recruiting process all over again."
Because he will be a grad student, he will not have to sit out a year. His situation is similar to that of his former Greenfield teammate Brian Richardson, who transferred from South Carolina after three seasons with the Gamecocks. But because Richardson hadn't completed his degree work at South Carolina, he had to sit out a year before playing at High Point University this season. Richardson started in 29 of 31 games for the Panthers, who claimed a share of the Big South Conference title.
"It was definitely something I thought about and looked at," Rountree said of Richardson's situation.
Rountree, a 6-foot-8 forward, worked his way into the starting rotation for the Demon Deacons until a broken hand in late December sidelined him for seven games. He finished with seven starts, averaging 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. Rountree had career averages of 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds in 11.6 minutes per game over 87 games at Wake.
The Deacons went 43-53 in Rountree's three seasons with one winning season. Wake went 17-16 in 2013-14, the last for head coach Jeff Bzdelik, who recruited Rountree. That was a struggle for Rountree, who was used to winning and playing for championships at Greenfield.
"It's definitely drained me a little bit with all the losing," he said. "I hadn't lost much in my career and I definitely struggled with the losing but it's made me a better person."
The Associated Press reported that Rountree is the third member of his 2012-13 freshman class to transfer from Wake Forest, joining former teammates Tyler Cavanaugh (George Washington) and Arnaud William Adala Moto (Towson), who departed after last season.
While he plans to continue toward a graduate degree, Rountree hopes to make the most of his final season of college basketball and keep the door open to play professionally.
"I definitely want to get a chance to play professional basketball and keep the ball bouncing as long as possible," he assured.
