Matt Haarms on Transfer: 'I Needed a Change of Scenery'

Purdue center Matt Haarms said Monday that it was time to move on, and gave a lengthy list of schools that he hopes to hear from after entering the NCAA transfer portal.

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —It was just time to go, Purdue center Matt Haarms said Monday after news of his transfer from the Boilermakers blew up social media sites across the country. 

Haarms told ESPN's Jeff Borzello  that he “Just believe I needed a change of scenery to take my game to the next level,'' he said in a tweet sent out by Borzello.

He also had kind words about his three years at Purdue, and leaves with no regrets.

"(I) don't have anything but positive things to say about Purdue, but I just felt like it was time to move on,” Haarms told Borzello in the  tweet.

Matt Haarms on his decision to leave Purdue: “Just believe I needed a change of scenery to take my game to the next level, don't have anything but positive things to say about Purdue but I just felt like it was time to move on.” https://t.co/HdZhSca95i

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) April 6, 2020

Haarms, a 7-foot, 3-inch center from Amsterdam, averaged 8.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 2.0 blocks per game while shooting 52.4 percent from the field, 31.3 percent from 3-point range and 63.4 percent from the free throw line a year ago for the Boilermakers.

Haarms finished his career fourth in Purdue history in blocked shots with 210. He is scheduled to graduate in May, so he will be eligible to play at his new school immediately. 

Haarms gave ESPN a lengthy list of schools from all across the country that he'd be willing to hear from, and it's a likely bet that he'll hear from all of them. He listed only one Big Ten school — Minnesota — which is interesting because it was the Gophers that he had his best game against this year, scoring 26 points and getting nine rebounds.

Here are the rest of the schools on his list:

• SEC schools: Kentucky, Arkansas, Ole Miss, South Carolina 
• Pac-12: Arizona, Arizona State, Washington State, Utah, Oregon State 
• Big 12: Oklahoma, Oklahoma State
• ACC: Louisville, Syracuse, Boston College, Virginia Tech
• Others: Gonzaga, Ohio, Illinois State, DePaul, Seton Hall, Wichita State, Iona, Cincinnati, San Jose State, Cal State Fullerton

Related stories

• BREAKING NEWS: Purdue announces that center Matt Haarms has entered the NCAA transfer portal. CLICK HERE
• CRAZY? HOW ABOUT INDIANA? What if Matt Haarms transferred from Purdue to Indiana? Heads would spin like Chucky dolls. CLICK HERE