Former Hawkeyes Brandon Hutton, Andrew Fleming say program wasn't 'right fit'

IOWA CITY — The law of transfer averages caught up with the Iowa men's basketball program.

The Hawkeyes brought in six newcomers — including five freshmen — for the 2015-16 season. Two freshmen red-shirted and two played sparingly, a situation most players find dissatisfying in today's world. With athletes leaving college basketball programs at an astounding pace — more than 700 transferred last year alone — roster turnover was likely.

Last week, freshmen Andrew Fleming and Brandon Hutton both announced their plans to transfer. Fleming, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, averaged 2.2 points, one assist, and 7.3 minutes in 11 games. Hutton, a 6-foot-5 small forward, red-shirted last year. Their departures leave Iowa with two open scholarships for next season.

Hutton plans to attend a junior college next year, then compete at another Division I school for three seasons. Fleming is unsure whether he wants to transfer to another power-conference school or a mid-major program. He must sit out next year and then has three seasons of eligibility.

Before joining Iowa, Fleming played one season at renowned Oak Hill Academy where he hit 38 percent of his 3-point attempts, including eight in one game. In his three previous seasons, Fleming led Ensworth (Tenn.) High School to three state titles and was tabbed Tennessee's Division II-AA Mr. Basketball as a junior.

With those accolades and experiences, Fleming wanted more from his college career. He didn't see it happening at Iowa.

'I thought I could find a better situation for myself where I can be successful and do what I want to do, which is achieve some of the high goals I set for myself and have a great career,' Fleming said. 'Yeah, it was difficult, Coach Fran (McCaffery), he told me all year, 'You're more than good enough to play.' He said he was conflicted all year with playing me in certain situations. But he just didn't have the trust in me to basically call any set that he would have liked to, and he didn't necessarily have the confidence in me to maybe execute a certain defense at a certain time of the game. I understand that.

'We had an experienced team, and (McCaffery) obviously went with guys that have been here before at my position. I understand why he struggled putting me in. I get it all, but I just thought looking forward you only get four years to play. So I want to make the most of it.'

Hutton was a raw recruit from Chicago De La Salle, where he put up 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks a game as a senior. He said he chose to red-shirt this year and 'soak in a lot of things' from game strategy to video sessions. By midseason, he was contemplating his future at Iowa.

'It wasn't anything academic; I'm doing pretty well with academics,' Hutton said. 'It wasn't anything like be in trouble with the law or anything like that. It wasn't anything with Coach Fran McCaffery or having any run-ins with him. It wasn't anything like that. The program just wasn't the right fit for me, and I wasn't the right fit for the program.'

Hutton wants to focus on refining his game and earn playing time at his next stop.

'I don't find this year at the University of Iowa to be a waste,' Hutton said. 'I learned a lot. I have experienced a lot. I have that under my belt.

'It's all about progression. It's all about me enhancing my basketball skills, enhancing my basketball IQ. Just using this upcoming year to perfect my game. I feel like going to a juco will most definitely help me with that, and I won't have to sit a whole other year.'

Last season, Fleming competed behind second-team all-Big Ten junior guard Peter Jok and senior Anthony Clemmons. Red-shirt freshman Brady Ellingson and true freshman Christian Williams also saw more action than Fleming. McCaffery publicly touted Fleming as a possible candidate for playing time, but he saw only eight minutes of Big Ten action.

If Jok stays at Iowa one more season, Fleming's playing time would remain limited.

'Fran knows I could have been a great player for him, and he gave me plenty of opportunities this year to prove myself in practice,' Fleming said. 'He knows I have a lot of game to offer. But overall, I just asked him to shoot me straight with his plans moving forward, and they just weren't what I wanted.'

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