UNC Basketball: Dawson Garcia announces transfer destination

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 14: Dawson Garcia #13 of the North Carolina Tar Heels shoots a foul shot against the Furman Paladins at Dean E. Smith Center on December 14, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 74-61. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 14: Dawson Garcia #13 of the North Carolina Tar Heels shoots a foul shot against the Furman Paladins at Dean E. Smith Center on December 14, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 74-61. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images) /
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Former UNC basketball player Dawson Garcia announced his commitment to a program that will keep him close to home.

It didn’t take long for Dawson Garcia to decide where he wants to continue his college basketball career.

On his Instagram account, Garcia announced that he has committed to the University of Minnesota. Once Garcia officially entered the transfer portal, this was figured to be the expected outcome of his latest transfer.

At this point, we all know the story of the short-lived Dawson Garcia era in Chapel Hill. After a standout season for Marquette as a freshman, the Prior Lake, Minnesota native decided to join the UNC basketball program via the transfer portal. Midway through the season, Garcia left the team due to “family reasons,” and never returned after that, leading many to believe his time with the program was all but over.

Just a few days ago, Garcia entered the portal, and quickly found a new home. The Golden Gophers not only give the rising junior another chance to play, but keeps him close to family in the process.

The question remains as to whether Garcia will receive a hardship waiver, which would allow him to play immediately next season. If he doesn’t receive this waiver, Garcia will have to sit out, being that he already used up his one-time transfer when he arrived at North Carolina.

Things obviously didn’t work out between Garcia and the UNC basketball program, but both parties will look to move on from this situation.

Fortunately, Garcia’s departure didn’t cause a major distraction for the Tar Heels, as they rallied together for a major run in the NCAA Tournament. Now that it’s official, it serves as a storyline that we can now put to rest.

Best of luck to Dawson Garcia as he heads to the University of Minnesota.

Next. Cameron Johnson named Sixth Man of the Year Award finalist. dark

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