After rumors had been swirling for weeks, news finally broke on Monday evening that Nebraska has lost its fourth player to transfer this offseason when sophomore forward Michael Jacobson decided to move on to another school.
Head coach Tim Miles and Jacobson officially announced the decision in a joint statement.
“After much deliberation, I have made the decision to transfer,” Jacobson said in the statement. “This was a very difficult decision for me, but I feel it is necessary at this time.
"I want to thank the Nebraska fans for their incredible support. I also want to say thank you to Coach Miles and his staff, my teammates and the Athletics Department. I will always be grateful for the opportunity I was given here at Nebraska.”
The 6-foot-9, 239-pound native of Waukee, Iowa, played in 65 games with 56 starts over the past two years, including starting all 31 games last season while averaging 6.0 points, 6.2 rebounds and tying for the team high with 27 blocks.
“I support Michael in his decision to transfer,” Miles said. “Although I am disappointed, we’ve appreciated his hard work in our program over the last two seasons. Michael and I have had numerous discussions regarding his role and what position he would be playing for us in the future.
"After a lot of thought, Michael decided to find a new school. I understand and respect his decision.”
Jacobson joins fellow sophomore big Edward Morrow, who announced his decision to transfer on March 29, and freshman forward Jeriah Horne and junior forward Nick Fuller as NU’s offseason departures.
Sources told HuskerOnline.com last week that Jacobson was worried about what his role would be with the Huskers next season following the loss of Morrow. Jacobson didn’t want to go back to playing a lot at the center position, which he had to do a lot as a true freshman.
Even though Nebraska publicly stated it was actively recruiting another center in its 2017 class, Jacobson apparently felt he was better suited to play more as a stretch four who could operate further away from the basket.
Nebraska now has four open scholarships to fill for its 2017-18 roster.
“Although we have lost some depth in the frontcourt, we are excited about the players already in our program who give us great options in Jordy Tshimanga, Isaiah Roby, Jack McVeigh and Isaac Copeland,” Miles said. “We have been pleased with our spring workouts and a renewed commitment by our guys to build a culture that leads to success for Husker Basketball.”
