Minaya to go through draft process, plans to enter portal
South Carolina rising senior Justin Minaya announced Tuesday on Instagram that he not only will test the NBA Draft waters this offseason but that he also plans to enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.
The NBA Draft rules allow for Minaya to go through that process without officially ending his college eligibility and by also entering his name in the portal, he'll have the option of transferring elsewhere as a graduate transfer senior.
As of this writing, Minaya's name is not officially in the portal but it appears that his time at South Carolina is coming to a close.
"Thank you is not enough," Minaya said in the Instagram post. "After having lengthy discussions with my family and close friends, I have decided to enter the 2021 NFL Draft. I will also put my name in the transfer portal to keep my options open to become a graduate transfer.
"Gamecock Nation, four years ago you welcomed me with open arms. I want to extend a huge thank you to Frank Martin and all of the assistant coaches who worked to develop and refine my skills.
"A special thank you to all of my teammates, we will be brothers forever. In addition, I want to thank the academic advisors, training staff, equipment staff, and the sports information department who all contributed to my success.
"To the fans, thank you for always cheering your heart out for us. I will always cherish the amazing times and memories I've had at USC and couldn't be more grateful for your support. To my family, thank you for always being supportive and there for me."
The 6-foot-6, 215-pound forward played in 79 career games at South Carolina, starting 75, while averaging 7.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Guards Trae Hannibal and T.J. Moss and forward Jalyn McCreary have already entered the transfer portal while wing Keyshawn Bryant and guard Jermaine Couisnard are also testing the NBA Draft waters but left the door open for a return.
