Mar 1, 2025; Lincoln, Nebraska, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers guard Lu'Cye Patterson (25) dribbles against the Nebraska Cornhuskers during the second half at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Gophers basketball player enters transfer portal despite having zero eligibility

Originally posted on Minnesota Golden Gophers on SI
By Tony Liebert | Last updated Apr 16, 2025 2:49 PM ET

Lu'Cye Patterson joined Mike Mitchell Jr. and Trey Edmonds on Wednesday as the third player from last year's Gophers basketball team to enter the transfer portal, despite having zero eligibility remaining.

NEWS: Minnesota guard Lu’Cye Patterson has entered the transfer portal, @LeagueRDY had learned.

Patterson began his career playing two seasons at Missouri State before playing two at Charlotte. He spent one season at Minnesota.

He averaged 11.6PPG, 3.6RPG and 3.3APG this… pic.twitter.com/aOdXKRB2sZ
— Sam Kayser (@247HSHoops) April 16, 2025

Patterson began his collegiate career playing two seasons at Missouri State before transferring to play two seasons at Charlotte. Any NCAA athletes who played in the altered 2020-21 COVID season were granted an extra year of eligibility, which Patterson spent with the Gophers. He will turn 24 years old in December, and under the current rules, he is out of eligibility.

Patterson, Mitchell Jr. and Edmonds are not the only college basketball players to do this. Wake Forest's Efton Reid, Eddie Lampkin from Syracuse and Will Middlebrooks from NC State are notable other players in similar situations.

The ongoing changes to name, image and likeness (NIL) laws and the future revenue-sharing have given the NCAA very little to stand on when it comes to cases against eligibility. The most likely scenario is that Patterson, Mitchell and Edmonds are just being cautious, and they're not playing Division I college basketball next season, but the ongoing changes to college athletics make it a bit naive to assume anything in regards to eligibility.

There are no rules against Patterson entering the transfer portal, but there are also no rules currently in place that imply he could be granted another season of eligibility. It's hard to blame any student-athlete in this situation with the money being floated around. In an era where quarterbacks are holding out and skipping spring practice, and eligibility is being found out of thin air, there badly needs to be some stricter guidelines in place.