Georgia Tech guard Curtis Haywood will transfer after two seasons that were marked by injury, streaky shooting, consistent effort and smart play. A team spokesman confirmed Haywood’s entry Wednesday into the transfer portal.
Haywood will have two seasons of eligibility remaining. His entry into the transfer market was first reported earlier Wednesday by 247Sports.
Haywood played in 29 of 32 games this season and started 19, missing the final two with an ankle injury. He averaged 5.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and two assists in 21.7 minutes per game. It followed a freshman season in which he averaged 5.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 24.3 minutes. His season was limited to 15 games as he dealt with a shin injury that ultimately sidelined him for the final 11 games of the season.
A member of coach Josh Pastner’s first signing class, Haywood came to Tech from Oklahoma City, Okla., advertised as a solid perimeter shooter. He had a promising freshman season to that end, making 37 percent of his 3-pointers.
However, he went through an agonizing 3-point shooting slump this past season, at one point going through a 1-for-29 stretch over a seven-game span. He finished the season at 27.6 percent from 3-point range. But he also had the highest rate of steals per minute on the team, indicative of his long reach and his ability to read opponents to get in passing lanes, and remained positive.
“I’m just in a little slump,” Haywood said after an 0-for-6 game against Florida State. “All shooters have it.”
His best game this season may have been at Syracuse, when he scored 15 points (3-for-6 shooting from 3-point range) with seven assists and four rebounds in Tech’s only win over an NCAA tournament team.
Had he returned for his junior season, Haywood would have faced increased challenges for playing time, as freshmen Michael Devoe and Khalid Moore emerged over the course of the season and transfer Jordan Usher will be eligible at the end of the fall semester, if not earlier if he can receive a hardship waiver.
Haywood’s departure leaves Tech with three available scholarships. It is expected that Pastner will pursue adding players through the transfer market as well as continue recruiting the remaining high-school prospects, particularly looking for a scorer and a post player.
Haywood will remain in school for the remainder of the semester.
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