Why Dallin Hall is opting for the transfer portal before senior year

Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes

PROVO — Dallin Hall's BYU career came to a close after the Cougars' loss to Alabama in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

The rising senior point guard announced Wednesday that he was headed to the transfer portal with a lengthy statement directed at BYU fans and those who have supported the former Fremont High star's collegiate career to date.

Hall averaged 6.8 points and 2.2 rebounds per game as a junior for the Cougars, his lowest scoring output of his career when he came off the bench for all but 10 of the 32 games in which he played. He averaged 7.7 points and 4.1 assists in 100 games over three years.

That's not to say he wasn't grateful for the three years he spent in Provo following a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fresno, California.

"I want to express my gratitude to God for blessing me with the opportunity to play the game I love at such an amazing place like BYU," he wrote on Instagram. "I want to thank my teammates who will be brothers for life, my coaches, fans, The ROC and everyone else who has supported me along the way."

Players are not bound by transfer portal announcements until they commit to and sign with another institution. But Hall's announcement seemed as final as could be expected.

"I will always be extremely grateful for the love and support I received from everyone associated with BYU," he continued. "While this decision has been very difficult, I know my time at BYU has prepared me well for the next chapter in my basketball journey. BYU will always be a very special place to me, and I wish nothing but continued success for the program moving forward."

Hall is the third BYU player to enter the portal, and the second point guard after freshmen Elijah Crawford and Kanon Catchings both opted to transfer away from Provo shortly after the season ended.

The Cougars also received a commitment from Washington transfer Dominique Diomande, a redshirt freshman from France who enrolled mid-year with the Huskies but didn't play in a game.

BYU point guard Egor Demin is also expected by many to enter the NBA draft, though he hasn't declared yet. ESPN currently rates the 6-foot-9 native of Moscow, Russia, as the 12th-best prospect in this year's draft.

A former three-star recruit and Utah Gatorade Player of the Year as a high school senior, Hall initially committed to BYU over interest from Oregon State, Utah State, Utah and Saint Mary's, among others, before serving a church mission prior to enrolling in Provo.

But the transfer portal giveth, and the transfer portal taketh away.

BYU is also hosting a visit from Georgia transfer guard Silas Demary Jr., according to CBS' Jon Rothstein, who said the prospect's father told him that he planned to visit BYU and UConn after initially visiting St. John's. He also has a visit scheduled with Duke.

The 6-foot-5, 195-pound sophomore from Raleigh, North Carolina, averaged 13.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in 31.5 minutes per game last year for the Bulldogs, whose season ended in the first round of the NCAA Tournament with an 89-68 loss to Gonzaga.