SG Stefan Duric apparently transferring from Buffalo

A few weeks ago, we knew something had to give in UB Men's Basketball's scholarship situation after the addition of JUCO guard Dontay Caruthers. At the time, a source within Athletics told us a spot would be open "by the time we need it for him."

Today, the shoe dropped, as Jeff Goodman of ESPN added freshman Stefan Duric to his transfer list. With Duric out and Caruthers in, UB will be back at the standard number of scholarships for next year.

Duric' tenure in Amherst will end as one of the more curious in UB history. The Canadian sharpshooter did not see the floor in his first season with Buffalo, only joining the team from an Ohio prep school midway through the season. At the time, his recruitment seemed a response to a smaller-than-expected recruiting class when point guard Jalen Harris decommitted on the eve of the Early Signing Period.

A 6-5 guard with a bit of international experience, Duric eased many fans' minds about UB's three-point shooting in a post-Jarryn Skeete world. Since then, MAC Semifinal aside, the program has shown emphatically once again that the Oats offense doesn't need a reliable sharpshooter to create high-quality shots down low.

At the time of his signing with UB, Duric also carried interest from Mississippi State, Nevada, Texas Tech, and Illinois-Chicago. It's unclear at this time if he has another destination lined up.

For UB, Caruthers, a truer point guard than CJ Massinburg but perhaps a more aggressive scorer than Lamonte Bearden*, brings more balance to Oats' arsenal than Duric might have in a lineup still stocked with versatile postseason heroes Blake Hamilton and Willie Conner on the outside in addition to Massinburg and the incoming James Jones.

*inasmuch as he can build on his high school scoring numbers, accolades, and film

Best of luck to Stefan in the future.