Former WSU guard Noah Fernandes commits to UMass

Freshman+Noah+Fernandes+defends+against+Temple+Thursday+inside+Charles+Koch+Arena.

Marshall Sunner

Freshman Noah Fernandes defends against Temple Thursday inside Charles Koch Arena.

Former Wichita State guard Noah Fernandes announced his next destination on Wednesday night, as he has decided to return home to continue his basketball career at the University of Massachusetts. This past Friday, Fernandes joined five of his teammates by entering the transfer portal, but is now the first to announce the school he will be transferring to.

In his lone season as a Shocker, Fernandes dealt with foot injuries that limited him to play in only 21 games. Fernandes was able to provide a spark to WSU’s rotation after they hit a rough patch as Gregg Marshall inserted the him into the starting lineup and helped WSU return to their winning ways.

Fernandes’ stats don’t jump off the page, however, as he averaged 1.4 points, 1.1 assists, and 0.8 rebounds during his lone season as a Shocker. He will be returning home to join UMass as he is a Massachusetts native. Prior to signing with WSU, Fernandes had an offer UMass, but decided against staying home.

At media day before the season, Fernandes noted Marshall’s ability to develop point guards as a reason for him to come to the Midwest.

“I think just the culture of the program and what [Coach Gregg Marshall’s] done with point guards,” Fernandes said. “I knew he’s going to develop me into a good player as long as I stick to it and listen to what he says.”

Currently, the Shockers have five scholarships available, and have been active in the recruiting market looking to fill those spots.