High profile freshman Earl Timberlake to transfer

And the big question for coach Jim Larranaga after the final game was if any of his six seniors - Chris Lykes (who has transfer rumors swirling), Nysier Brooks, Elijah Olaniyi, Rodney Miller, Sam Waardenburg and Kam McGusty - would return. Larranaga said after that March 11 game that he expected the decisions won't be made until around April.

Today, though, word came out that an underclassman will be leaving.

A gem of the 2020 class, Earl Timberlake, will transfer. He and Matt Cross were expected to be future stars at Miami. Now both are gone, with Cross dismissed during the season due to an apparent attitude issue.

So Larranaga will have some work to do depending on what the seniors decide to reshape the roster. Down the stretch run this past season the Canes had only six available scholarship players.

Timberlake was one of those missing - he played in only seven games (starting three) and averaged 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

Timberlake told ESPN he has no school in mind yet where he will transfer and that "I've been dealing with a whole lot this season as far as being away from home and ankle and shoulder injuries. I wanted to be there for my teammates, but unfortunately I wasn't able to. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that putting my name in the transfer portal is the best move for my future. There's nothing negative that happened. There's no bad blood with Miami. I just want a fresh start. I love Coach L and the rest of the coaching staff. I just want to start over and get a fresh start somewhere else."

THE TIMBERLAKE FILE

202-21 season: Played in seven games, starting three, and averaged 9.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

High School: Graduated from DeMatha Catholic (Md.) … Consensus four-star, top-40 recruit … Labeled as the best player in Maryland by all three major outlets … Named the No. 32 player in the nation—one spot outside five-star status—and seventh-best small forward by Rivals … Ranked No. 37 nationally by ESPN … Averaged 16.5 points, 10.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game as a senior, helping DeMatha to a 30-3 record … Tallied 19 points and eight rebounds in the WCAC league title game to help the Stags to their 41st such crown … McDonald’s All-American Game nominee … Earned both First Team All-WCAC and The Washington Post First Team All-Met honors, as well as MaxPreps All-America Honorable Mention and Jersey Mike’s Naismith All-America Honorable Mention … WaPo Second Team All-Met as a junior … Averaged 13.2 points and 8.9 rebounds as a sophomore, garnering WaPo Fourth Team All-Met and MaxPreps Sophomore All-America Team Honorable Mention distinctions … Attended Rock Christian Academy (Md.) as a freshman … Voted a member of the WCAC All-Decade Team … Honor roll student … On the Nike EYBL circuit, averaged 18.3 points on 46.4 percent shooting across 18 outings for Team Durant in 2019, adding 9.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game … Tallied double-digit points in 17 of 18 appearances, notched 20-plus on eight occasions and recorded nine double-doubles … Former DeMatha basketball standouts include Adrian Dantley, Danny Ferry, Markelle Fultz, Victor Oladipo and several other NBA players.

Personal: Full name is Earl Anthony Timberlake Jr. … Nickname is “Easy” … Born Nov. 4, 2000 … Parents are Earl Timberlake Sr., and Taundaleah Stewart … Has two younger sisters, Christiana and Brooklyn … Majoring in sport administration … Favorite athletes are Jimmy Butler and James Harden … Best sports memory is hitting the go-ahead shot to help DeMatha win the WCAC title both as a sophomore and a senior … Pregame superstitions include writing the names on his shoes of family and friends who have passed away and calling his grandmother, Juanita Walker, who prays for him … Chose Miami because it was the best fit for him and, on his visit, he loved both the coaching staff and the beautiful campus … Committed to Miami over Alabama, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Providence, Seton Hall and South Carolina.