Former Xavier prep Adam McDermott to transfer to UNI

CEDAR FALLS — He missed home, and that's the end of the story. Nothing nefarious here.

Adam McDermott decided to leave the University of North Dakota men's basketball program after his freshman season because he wanted to be closer to his family and friends. He found what he believes is the perfect situation now at Northern Iowa.

That's where the former Cedar Rapids Xavier all-stater will transfer at semester's end in mid-May. The 6-foot-4 wing player and distance-shooting specialist will be a walk-on during his redshirt transfer year and said he has been promised a scholarship for his junior and senior seasons, if things progress as expected.

Whether he'll be a walk-on or scholarship player his sophomore season has yet to be determined.

'That's pretty much it,' McDermott said. 'I've been homesick pretty much the whole year. I can't think of a better place to be than UNI.'

McDermott played in all 33 games this season for North Dakota (17-16), coached by former Iowa Hawkeyes assistant Brian Jones. He started once, averaging 6.7 points per game and collecting a team-high 56 3-pointers.

'Definitely my role this season was to be a shooter,' he said. 'Coming into the year, I didn't know what to expect. There was talk about me redshirting, but I was able to do well enough to play. I'm grateful for the opportunity I got at North Dakota, but I'm looking forward to being part of a great program at UNI.'

McDermott was a first-team Class 3A all-state pick for Xavier two years ago as a senior, a season in which he averaged 18 points per game while leading the Saints to the state tournament.

McDermott will become eligible for the 2017-18 season with three years of eligibility remaining.