The fourth and fifth SIU men’s basketball players to transfer announced they are leaving this month.  

Freshman forward Jordan Caroline and freshman guard Deion Lavender followed suit of junior guard Jalen Pendleton, freshman guard Chaz Glotta and redshirt freshman K.C. Goodwin on Monday.

Coach Barry Hinson said the transfers hurt and bothered him.

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Audio from the press conference:

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Caroline was named to the Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman team this season, averaged the most rebounds and earned the second most points on the team with 6.2 and 9.2 respectively.

Caroline said he wants to play at a higher level, but does not know where he is transferring to. He has not yet received any offers.  

“This was a great learning experience here,” Caroline said. “I met a lot of great people in my time here.”

Lavender started 13 games and averaged 6.6 points per game and made 24 three-pointers this season.

Lavender said he was close with Caroline, Glotta and Pendleton. He said he decided to come to SIU together with Caroline and Glotta. When they left, it influenced his decision.  

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“It’s been thought about for a while, I just didn’t think I’d go through with it,” Lavender said. “Whenever I saw everyone else leaving, I was like, that’s kind of the last straw.”

Hinson said he thinks Lavender’s reasoning is that he was unhappy in Carbondale.  

“I just want to go somewhere I can be happy playing ball,” Lavender said. “I had some real unhappy moments this season.”

Lavender said he is unsure where he will transfer to. 

All five transfers made the decision on their own, Hinson said. He said he could not guarantee the first three transfers playing time.

Hinson would not comment when asked if he could have guaranteed the first three transfers more playing time had he known Caroline and Lavender were transferring before them. 

“Hindsight is 20-20,” he said. “It’s not even fair to answer the question.”

Hinson said he does not feel he is coaching for his job at this point. 

“[People calling for my job] are going to have to put up with me for at least three more years, because I have a contract,” Hinson said. “People that call for my job, they’re calling for a lot of people’s job. I’m not a quick fix. I never have been and I never will be. The only heat I feel is the heat I put on myself.”

He said his plans for next season have not changed and the team will not sign more recruits just for the sake of signing them. It will sign the best players it can. 

“I don’t want to pull an Aaron Rodgers here, but I’d like to quote Aaron Rodgers,” Hinson said. “Just relax.”

Hinson said he is unsure if the transfers will hurt recruiting in the future. 

This story has been updated.

Ahmad Hicks contributed to this story. 

Aaron Graff can be reached at [email protected] or at 536-3311 ext. 256.

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https://soundcloud.com/de-voices/barry-hinson-on-five-transfers#t=0:28