By Jarra Gojolo — Senior Content Editor
History continues to repeat itself for San Jose State hoops.
On New Years Day guard Seneca Knight announced his decision to transfer, making this the fourth straight year where the previous season’s leading scorer left SJSU’s program.
After the announcement, Knight says programs from around the country reached out for the 6-foot-7 junior’s services. Teams from the PAC-12, ACC, SEC and WCC contacted him before he decided on joining head coach Will Wade and LSU.
Knight says he’s transferring to go somewhere “that will help me elevate my game and help me get better for what my goal is.”
And that goal is to make it to the NBA like former Spartan Brandon Clarke, who became a first-round pick in 2019 after transferring to Gonzaga after the 2016-17 season.
“Seneca is a very talented player and a great young man,” SJSU head coach Jean Prioleau said in a statement about the decision to transfer. “We wish him all the best.”
In April, Knight originally announced he would stay at SJSU after an all-Mountain West 2019-20 season.
The then sophomore led the team with 17.1 points per game overall and over 20 points per game in Mountain West play.
After struggling in the Spartans’ first few games of the 2020-21 season, Knight opted out because of COVID-19 concerns. After conversations with his family — especially his parents — Knight decided to put his name in the transfer portal.
What he says he’ll remember about his time at San Jose is the fans.
“They were always supportive of me and they always encouraged me,” Knight said. “It was just a cool experience being able to have the fans and the students on my side.”
Knight’s move serves as both a step up and a homecoming for the Louisiana native. The junior has lived in both New Orleans and Lafayette. Baton Rouge is an hour away from both cities.
“My friends, my high school friends and everybody from Louisiana … they’ve supported me,” Knight said. “Now they really get a chance to see me play so I’m looking forward to it.”
This marks the 13th San Jose State basketball player to enter the transfer portal since head coach Jean Prioleau took the job in 2017 and the 28th to transfer since the Spartans joined the Mountain West in 2013.
The Spartans have lost their first six conference games of the season. Senior guard Richard Washington has been a bright spot, currently second in the conference in scoring and third in the conference in total made threes.
Iowa Western Community College transfer Jalen Dalcourt has made an impact of his own since making his debut. In his first game as a Spartan the 6-foot-2 guard’s 23 points helped the Spartans nearly upset Boise State, who beat SJSU by 52 points just a couple days before.
Dalcourt — who is a friend of Knight and a former teammate of Washington’s — is shooting 52 percent from the 3-point line in his four games this season.
Phoenix has been home for both Spartans’ basketball teams for the past month, after Santa Clara County put a hold on all contact sports due to COVID-19.
The women’s team’s series against Fresno State last weekend was postponed due to COVID issues, as well as its scheduled series against Colorado State later this week.
The men’s team will return to Arizona and begin its homestand against CSU on Thursday before heading to St. George, Utah to take on New Mexico.
Follow Jarra on Twitter @JarraGojolo