Penn forward Ethan Roberts confirms he will enter transfer portal
Roberts has one year of eligibility remaining, but the Ivy League prohibits graduate students from playing intercollegiate athletics.
In an expected move, Penn senior forward Ethan Roberts will enter the transfer portal, as first reported Monday by League Ready and confirmed by Roberts via Twitter/X.
Roberts has one year of eligibility left after missing his sophomore season at Drake with a debilitating stomach ailment, but he cannot continue playing basketball at Penn because of an Ivy League rule that prohibits graduate students from participating in intercollegiate athletics.
This season, Roberts averaged a team-high 16.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, and was named to the All-Ivy second team. Roberts missed the Ivy tournament and Penn’s NCAA Tournament loss to Illinois while dealing with a concussion he suffered in practice. Roberts missed six games earlier in the season after suffering a separate concussion against Villanova.
A native of Arlington Heights, Ill., Roberts transferred to Penn at the start of the 2024-25 season, becoming the team’s leading scorer under then-coach Steve Donahue. He opted to remain at Penn after Donahue’s dismissal, citing the hiring of Fran McCaffery as his reason for staying.
Roberts began his collegiate career at Army, where he was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year before transferring to Drake after his freshman season.
The men’s basketball transfer portal opens April 7 after the Division I men’s national championship game.