Freshman guards Negus Webster-Chan and Dominique Bull are set to leave the Missouri basketball team and transfer, the team announced Tuesday.
“Dominique and Negus were great representatives of our program and I want to thank them for their contributions both on and off the basketball court,” coach Frank Haith said in a news release. “We will certainly do anything we can to help them as they begin the recruiting process, and wish them nothing but the best moving forward.”
Webster-Chan, of Scarborough, Ontario, Canada, started six games for the Tigers and appeared in 32 games total.
Bull, of Worcester, Mass., played in nine contests and scored his first colligate points in a Senior Night win over Arkansas.
Both expressed a desire to see more playing time and play closer to home.
“I appreciate everyone at Missouri and want to thank coach Haith and the staff for giving me this opportunity,” said Webster-Chan, who will be making his third go-round of the recruiting process.
Originally a verbal commit to Final Four contender Louisville in high school, the 6-foot-7-inch Canadian de-committed after changes in the Cardinal coaching staff, then signed with Missouri with long-time teammate Stefan Jankovic.
“I just want to find a style that is more suited for me, but I wish Mizzou the best of luck in the future and I’m grateful to the Tiger community for their support over the past year,” he continued in the release.
Bull wished his teammates the best in his final statement.
“I want to thank everyone at Mizzou including coach Haith, the coaching staff and my teammates for their support over the past year,” Bull said. “I enjoyed my time as a Missouri Tiger, but wanted to expand my role on the court and hopefully do it in a situation that’s closer to my family.”
The departures open up two scholarship slots for the Tigers who may look to fill them with incoming transfers, including Aaron Cosby of Seton Hall who has yet to make a decision on where he will play in 2013-14.
Missouri loaded up its 2012-13 roster with five transfers, not including guard Jordan Clarkson who was not yet eligible to play per transfer rules.
Bull was still set to sit next season to work his way into Haith’s rotation, but Webster-Chan was predicted to play a larger role, emerging as a solid perimeter defender sporting incredible length with a developing offensive game.
Though the Tigers retain depth in the backcourt with guards Jabari Brown, Earnest Ross and Clarkson, the transfers may further open the door for junior All-American guard Phil Pressey to pursue the NBA draft rather than return for his senior season.
Missouri’s frontcourt will most likely feature forwards Tony Criswell and Ryan Rosburg. Incoming forward Johnathan Williams III could also crack the rotation. Ranked 35th on ESPN’s top 100 recruits, he’s the highest ranked recruit to pick Missouri since Pressey and junior college transfer Ricardo Ratliffe in 2010.