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Breaking: ESPN reporting Deuce Bello will transfer

With Allerik Freeman in the fold, Baylor fans have been wondering where we might get the space we need to accommodate his scholarship. That question is now at least partially answered. Jason King from ESPN is reporting that junior-to-be guard Deuce Bello has requested, and received, his release to transfer.

By Mark C. Moore
USA TODAY Sports

When Deuce Bello arrived at Baylor in the summer of 2011, he did so as the other half of the much-heralded Bello-Quincy Miller recruiting tandem. He wasn't as highly-ranked as his best friend, but Baylor fans had high hopes for his high-flying ability, and he tantalized observers around the program with his defensive potential for each of the past two years. To be truly useful as a rotation piece, he'd need to improve on a questionable, at best, jump shot and one-dimensional offensive game.

Things didn't work out like we hoped, and with Bello passed up for playing time this past season by true freshman Taurean Prince and unlikely to carve out a niche in Baylor's plans this coming season with Ishmail Wainright and Allerik Freeman coming in alongside JUCO Kenny Chery, rumors ran rampant that Bello might transfer. Somewhat interestingly, those rumors had actually died out in recent weeks from where they used to be. I remember several relatively prominent Baylor observers talking about Bello as a possible transfer this time last year, following the departure of his friend Quincy Miller to the NBA. As it turns out, they were one year too early.

I don't want to detract from the seriousness of the situation-- Bello was by all accounts a popular player with fans-- by saying "this is how these things work," but to be honest, it is. Baylor was facing a numbers crunch with the Freeman situation unfolding the way it did, and we are actually rumored now to be looking at another potential transfer like Royce O'Neale or Michael Dixon. We were already going to need one spot, and if either of those guys came, we'd need two. One is now taken care of.

Today's news knocks us down to the maximum 13 scholarships for next year assuming our entire recruiting class makes it in and nobody else transfers, granting us a bit more stability, and predictability, than we've had before. I'm a bit sad to see Bello go since this is hardly how anyone would have wanted his time here to unfold.

FG 3PT FT Rebounds Misc
G M M A Pct M A Pct M A Pct Off Def Tot Ast TO Stl Blk PF PPG
2012 - Deuce Bello 34 11.3 1.0 2.2 45.9 0.1 0.3 22.2 0.4 1.0 42.9 0.7 0.8 1.5 0.6 0.9 0.6 0.3 1.4 2.5


Good luck, Deuce, wherever you end up!

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