Notre Dame guard/captain Nik Djogo explores graduate transfer options

A year ago, after not logging as many minutes or scoring as many points or playing as large of a role as he hoped, Notre Dame graduate student guard/captain Nik Djogo made a business decision.

A year after playing more minutes and scoring more points and playing more of a role than he ever did in his collegiate career, Djogo made a basketball decision.

A native of Hamilton, Ontario who will leave Notre Dame this spring with a Master’s in Business Administration, the 6-foot-8, 230-pound Djogo will explore the possibility of playing elsewhere next season as an immediately-eligible graduate transfer. Djogo took to social media early Monday afternoon to reveal his next basketball step.

“Moving forward, I’m excited to announce that I will be entering my name in the transfer portal and exploring other opportunities for my last year of eligibility,” Djogo wrote. “I will be keeping all options on the table and I look forward to going through this process with my family and friends.”

Last spring, Djogo decided against transferring to remain at Notre Dame and earn his graduate degree. This past season, his first as a captain, Djogo played in 24 games with six starts. He averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds in 19.2 minutes per game, all career highs for the left-hander.

“I always knew that I was going to stay here for the duration of my five years,” Djogo said last month. “Last year when I sat down and discussed all options with my family, I figured it would be stupid to pass up my MBA from Notre Dame fully paid for.”

In 100 career games over four years, Djogo averaged 2.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 13.3 minutes. He sat out his first season to preserve an additional year of eligibility, which he utilized this season. He scored a season high 18 points in the Feb. 14 win over Miami (Fla.). He played a season high 33 minutes in the first-round Atlantic Coast Conference win over Wake Forest last week.

“He just senses, what does my team need?” Irish coach Mike Brey said of Djogo last month. “The guy has been just fabulous in his role.”

Djogo scored 21 points in 36 minutes, both career highs, in the Feb. 2, 2019 win at Boston College.

The NCAA awarded all college basketball players an additional year of eligibility — and a sixth for Djogo — at the start of this season because of the coronavirus pandemic. Djogo and fellow graduate student Juwan Durham met with Brey last fall and decided that additional year of eligibility aside, this season would be it for both at Notre Dame.

After five years at Notre Dame for Djogo, and four for Durham after transferring from Connecticut, it would be time to move on. For Djogo, that time arrived Monday.