Anthony Tarke Becomes Latest Miner to Enter the Transfer Portal

Combo guard-forward Anthony Tarke is the latest UTEP men's basketball player to enter the transfer portal following the season, as first reported by Verbal Commits.

Tarke becomes the third Miner electing to transfer from the program, along with Nigel Hawkins and Jordan Lathon, who both entered the transfer portal last week.

Although the report indicates the redshirt junior would leave as a graduate transfer with a year of eligibility, Tarke might try to apply for a medical waiver for a half-semester of eligibility. He had a nagging injury for a good portion of the season and when Tarke started to see more action on the floor, he suffered another injury setback after the Miners' loss to Florida Atlantic on Jan. 4. He didn't return to the court until Jan. 25 when he played in 15 minutes off the bench against North Texas and went 0-for-3 shooting.

Tarke didn't see action for the next three games and played in just three of UTEP's last eight games. He came off the bench for six minutes against Old Dominion (Feb. 8), racked up 14 minutes versus Western Kentucky (Feb. 13) and played his final six minutes off the bench in a win against Rice (Feb. 22). In those games last four games, Tarke went 1-for-7 from the floor. 

Through the 2019-20 campaign, Tarke played in 14 games with two starts and averaged 11.8 minutes per game. He averaged 2.6 points, 4.0 rebounds and shot 37.5 percent from the floor. It was the worst statistical season of his career.

Prior to UTEP, Tarke was an All-Atlantic Sun Conference honoree, having led NJIT in points (15.7 ppg) and ranked second in rebounding (6.2 rpg) during the 2017-18 season. After his 9.9 points, 4.7 rebounding average in freshman year, he was named as an Atlantic Sun Conference All-Freshman Selection.

So why didn't it work when Tarke decided to transfer and join Rodney Terry and the Miners?

It could be his fit on the court. The Miners may not have had a meaningful spot for Tarke on next year's team—no matter the makeup of the group. If the team goes through Bryson Williams next year, Tarke might not be the ideal fit alongside the standout Miner. Ideally under the current system, he would have to play a backup forward position.

Tarke's departure doesn't come at a surprise considering the lack of playing time he had this year. Coming from an all-conference selection, Miner fans thought Tarke would be one of the biggest hits of this year's team. His injuries mixed with the lack of playing time leaves all of his potential up in the air.

As a 6-foot-6 combo guard-forward, Tarke will be a desirable graduate transfer for a team that needs a hole to be filled at the No. 3 or No. 4 spot. His two seasons at NJIT alone are worthy of a spot on another mid-major team.