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Apr. 18—PULLMAN — Nate Calmese is moving on to his fourth school in four years.
The former Washington State guard is transferring to Wake Forest, he announced on social media Friday afternoon, ending his one-year stay at WSU.
Last season, Calmese led the Cougars in scoring with 15.2 points per game, operating as the team's lead ball-handler and shot-creator.
Calmese started his career at Lamar, where he averaged 17.6 points per game, before transferring to Washington for his sophomore season. After playing about 11 minutes per game, he took his talents to WSU last spring, helping the Cougs go 19-15 in their inaugural season as West Coast Conference affiliate members.
Calmese averaged 15.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, shooting 47% from the floor and 29% from 3-point range on about four attempts per game.
Calmese also averaged three turnovers per game, committing five-plus turnovers on eight occasions.
Calmese also took a visit to Villanova, per his Instagram. His finalists also included Baylor, Florida State and St. John's, according to On 3 Sports.
A native of the Phoenix area, Calmese is joining a Wake Forest team that went 21-11 last season, declining an invitation to the NIT, where the Demon Deacons would likely have earned a No. 1 seed. Under head coach Steve Forbes, Wake Forest has made the NIT twice in the past four years, with its last NCAA Tournament appearance coming in 2017 under former coach Danny Manning.
Calmese entered the transfer portal on March 24, sitting out WSU's season-ending loss to Georgetown in the College Basketball Crown first round on March 31.
He is one of five Cougs to enter the portal this offseason, becoming the third to find a new home, alongside Texas Tech-bound LeJuan Watts and Maryland-bound Isaiah Watts.
Guard Cedric Coward, who missed all but six games with a season-ending shoulder injury, is considering finalists Alabama and Duke, according to a Friday report from 247 Sports. He also intends to test his market in the NBA draft, where he would likely be a second-round selection.
Freshman guard Marcus Wilson, who also missed much of last season with a shoulder injury, is also in the portal. He has not made any public announcements on his next move, which could leave the door open for a potential return to WSU.
Calmese's time at WSU often resembled a roller coaster.
He used his quickness to get to the basket and finish nearly at will, and his assist rate of 29.2% ranked No. 88 nationally.
But he was also prone to turnovers and emotional play, which caused him in one instance to sit the final five minutes of WSU's home win over San Diego on Feb. 27.
Calmese was also a hot-and-cold defender. At times, he would use his athleticism to nab steals and stay in front of opponents' quicker guards. But at others, he would float off the ball, and opponents took advantage.
To replace their outgoing starting five — Calmese, LeJuan Watts, Isaiah Watts and graduating seniors Ethan Price and Dane Erikstrup — the Cougs have landed one reinforcement, Morehead State transfer guard Jerone Morton, who announced his decision on Monday.
WSU has about five open scholarships left, though the number isn't set the way it has been in years past.
Starting in 2025-26, college basketball teams will have roster limits (15 players) instead of scholarship limits, allowing coaches to spread out scholarships as they see fit. That means some players could be on full scholarship with others on a partial scholarship.
Continue reading...
The former Washington State guard is transferring to Wake Forest, he announced on social media Friday afternoon, ending his one-year stay at WSU.
Last season, Calmese led the Cougars in scoring with 15.2 points per game, operating as the team's lead ball-handler and shot-creator.
Calmese started his career at Lamar, where he averaged 17.6 points per game, before transferring to Washington for his sophomore season. After playing about 11 minutes per game, he took his talents to WSU last spring, helping the Cougs go 19-15 in their inaugural season as West Coast Conference affiliate members.
Calmese averaged 15.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, shooting 47% from the floor and 29% from 3-point range on about four attempts per game.
Calmese also averaged three turnovers per game, committing five-plus turnovers on eight occasions.
Calmese also took a visit to Villanova, per his Instagram. His finalists also included Baylor, Florida State and St. John's, according to On 3 Sports.
A native of the Phoenix area, Calmese is joining a Wake Forest team that went 21-11 last season, declining an invitation to the NIT, where the Demon Deacons would likely have earned a No. 1 seed. Under head coach Steve Forbes, Wake Forest has made the NIT twice in the past four years, with its last NCAA Tournament appearance coming in 2017 under former coach Danny Manning.
Calmese entered the transfer portal on March 24, sitting out WSU's season-ending loss to Georgetown in the College Basketball Crown first round on March 31.
He is one of five Cougs to enter the portal this offseason, becoming the third to find a new home, alongside Texas Tech-bound LeJuan Watts and Maryland-bound Isaiah Watts.
Guard Cedric Coward, who missed all but six games with a season-ending shoulder injury, is considering finalists Alabama and Duke, according to a Friday report from 247 Sports. He also intends to test his market in the NBA draft, where he would likely be a second-round selection.
Freshman guard Marcus Wilson, who also missed much of last season with a shoulder injury, is also in the portal. He has not made any public announcements on his next move, which could leave the door open for a potential return to WSU.
Calmese's time at WSU often resembled a roller coaster.
He used his quickness to get to the basket and finish nearly at will, and his assist rate of 29.2% ranked No. 88 nationally.
But he was also prone to turnovers and emotional play, which caused him in one instance to sit the final five minutes of WSU's home win over San Diego on Feb. 27.
Calmese was also a hot-and-cold defender. At times, he would use his athleticism to nab steals and stay in front of opponents' quicker guards. But at others, he would float off the ball, and opponents took advantage.
To replace their outgoing starting five — Calmese, LeJuan Watts, Isaiah Watts and graduating seniors Ethan Price and Dane Erikstrup — the Cougs have landed one reinforcement, Morehead State transfer guard Jerone Morton, who announced his decision on Monday.
WSU has about five open scholarships left, though the number isn't set the way it has been in years past.
Starting in 2025-26, college basketball teams will have roster limits (15 players) instead of scholarship limits, allowing coaches to spread out scholarships as they see fit. That means some players could be on full scholarship with others on a partial scholarship.
Continue reading...
