McNeese State center Brendan Medley-Bacon entered the NCAA transfer portal. 

The news of the 7-foot center putting his name back in the portal after one season with the Cowboys was not a surprise to the McNeese coaching staff, head coach John Aiken said.

Medley-Bacon’s mother recently underwent brain surgery and the redshirt junior said he was hoping to find a place closer to her to finish out his career. He is from Baltimore.

“We left the door open for him but we don’t expect him to return,” Aiken said. “We wish Brendan and his mother and family well. 

“We will now turn our attention on some other big men we are recruiting.”

Medley-Bacon, who came to McNeese after spending time at both Virginia Commonwealth and Coppin State, averaged 9.7 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Cowboys. He was limited to time on the court because of foul trouble. 

Three times during the season Medley-Bacon scored 20 points or better as he shot 54 percent from the floor. 

CODY BALL: Cody Orgeron said he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. Now he will do it.

The former McNeese quarterback and son of former LSU head coach Ed Orgeron, has taken a job as an interim coach at the University of Miami, where his dad spent five seasons on the staff. 

The younger Orgeron will serve as an offensive intern on new head coach Mario Cristobal’s staff. Cristobal moved over from Oregon after last season. 

Orgeron was the starting quarterback for parts of the last four seasons and exclusively the last three. He threw for 6,682 yards and 50 touchdowns.

He also ran for another 1,227 years and 11 scores. His most memorable moment came when he threw a 44-yard touchdown pass against his father’s team last season in Tiger Stadium.

COMMITTED: Six-foot-6 swingman Roberts Berze committed to play basketball next season at McNeese. The second-year freshman averaged 10.7 points a game last season at Eastern Florida State College. In December he made nine 3-pointers in a game to set a school record. 

Berez, a native of Sigulda, Latvia, shot 36.2 percent from 3-point range last season and made 84.1 percent of his free throws. He has three years left of eligibility.