Northwestern announced today that sophomore forward Kale Abrahamson will transfer, three days after the Wildcats' season came to an end with a loss to Michigan State. Both Coach Chris Collins and Abrahamson made statements about the move through NU Sports:
Collins: "Kale let us know that he would like to seek an opportunity to continue his playing career and his studies at another institution. We are appreciative of all of his efforts during his time at Northwestern and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavors."
Abrahamson: "I've really enjoyed my time at Northwestern. I've made some lifelong friends, and the support from the fans and my teammates has been unbelievable. It's time for me to look for a better opportunity, but I'll never forget what I've learned and all the memories I've made here at NU."
The transfer isn't a huge surprise, given Abrahamson's desire to play more throughout the season. He had a frank conversation with Collins before the season started, trying to figure out his role with the team, and while he did end up starting at times, he never grabbed onto a sustained starting role. His playing time and results were erratic. Redshirt freshman Sanjay Lumpkin appeared to have passed him at the "four" spot, and there would be even more competition for playing time next year, with the addition of Vic Law and a possible graduate transfer.
Abrahamson is the second player to transfer this season, as center Chier Ajou did so earlier in the year. NU will now have 11 scholarship players returning next year, with the ability to add two more to get to the NCAA maximum of 13 scholarship players. The Wildcats will likely be on the lookout for a graduate transfer to play power forward.
As for Abrahamson, the West Des Moines, Iowa, product had offers from Iowa, Iowa State, Stanford, Harvard and some Missouri Valley schools, among others, coming out of high school. He would likely be a good fit at a mid-major, since getting more playing time seems to be the goal, but he will have to sit out a year. He will have two years of eligibility remaining after sitting out next season.