UMass transfer Matt Cross sets visits to Wisconsin, Iowa this week

Former UMass Minutemen small forward Matt Cross is set to visit the Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday, and the Iowa Hawkeyes on Friday, according to On3’s Joe Tipton.

Cross entered the transfer portal last week, and has is one of the more enticing options available at the moment.

Prior to playing for UMass, Cross was a four-star recruit who went to Louisville. Prior to that, he played for Miami, making this his third time in the portal. During his season with the Cardinals, Cross played in 28 games and averaged 5.8 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. That came a season after he played in 14 games for the Hurricanes.

While at UMass, Matt Cross was a star for the Minutemen. He started in 50 out of 53 games that he’s played in over the last two seasons. In the more recent 2023-24 season, he was a key figure on the team, noted for his hustle while averaging 15.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. On top of that, he shot .540 from the field and .329 from three-point range.

Matt Cross was an Atlantic 10 First-Team Selection for the 2023-24 season. He was also a NABC All-District Selection. 

It was a good season overall for UMass basketball. The Minutemen missed out on a postseason tournament. However, at 20-11, the Minutemen made it to 20 wins in a season for the first time since the 2013-14 season. The school also announced that it would be moving to the MAC in all sports, leaving the Atlantic 10 in basketball. 

Time will tell where Matt Cross ends up, but it’s evident there’s a little recruiting battle going on for the transfer forward, especially between two Big Ten rivals at the moment.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire.

On3’s Dan Morrison contributed to this article.