MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The mass exodus continues for the West Virginia basketball program, following the resignation of long time head coach Bob Huggins after his second DUI arrest.
The Mountaineers lost Tre Mitchell, Joe Toussaint, and Mohamed Wague to Kentucky, Texas Tech, and Alabama, respectively, and now might lose high scoring guard Jose Perez as well after the well-travelled college star entered the transfer portal earlier this week.
Perez has already drawn interest from a handful of schools, and Locked on College Basketball host Andy Patton ran through the four programs who reached out first for Perez's services, including Gonzaga and Michigan.
Perez could of course end up elsewhere, including a return to West Virginia, but for now here is a look at the four programs who reached out first and how he might fit each squad in 2023-24.
1. Gonzaga Bulldogs
Gonzaga has been on the hunt for a third guard to help replace Malachi Smith, and Perez could be a perfect fit for Mark Few's team.
Gonzaga has Ryan Nembhard and Nolan Hickman to run the point, and Steele Venters as a catch-and-shoot weapon on the perimeter, but adding Perez in a sixth man role would allow him to be a focal point offensively while giving defenses another player to worry about on the second unit.
Smith was the WCC sixth man of the year, and Perez could take that mantle back to Spokane once again next year.
2. Michigan Wolverines
Michigan lost Kobe Bufkin to the NBA draft and his replacement, Caleb Love, was unable to get admitted to the University - and his decision to go to Arizona left the Wolverines thin on guard talent heading into 2023-24.
Juwan Howard did bring in Nimari Burnett from Alabama, and Burnett and Perez would be a solid backcourt pairing for a team desperate to get back into the NCAA Tournament after a disappointing campaign last year.
3. Oregon Ducks
Oregon lost a ton of wing talent this offseason, with Quincy Guerrier, Rivaldo Soares, Lok Wur, and Tyrone Williams all hitting the transfer portal. They brought in Devan Cambridge to help shore up that spot, but he didn't stick around long before decommitting and going to Texas Tech.
Perez would provide a veteran presence to a very young Oregon team that features three high profile incoming freshmen in KJ Evans, Mookie Cook, and Jackson Shelstad. If Dana Altman can find the right balance of experience and young talent, perhaps this program can get their way back into the NCAA Tournament in 2024.
4. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech lost eight players in the NCAA transfer portal, an entirely unsurprising result when the team struggled last year and replaced their head coach.
Damon Stoudamire has great pedigree after a successful stint coaching at Pacific and in the NBA with the Boston Celtics, and Perez would have a chance to play big minutes for an up-and-coming ACC squad if he were to join the Yellow Jackets.
It's not the most appealing destination for someone wanting to win a championship, but Georgia Tech probably provides the clearest path to playing time for Perez among these four schools.