DALLAS — Former St. John’s guard Oziyah Sellers signed with SMU on Tuesday, hoping to be granted a fifth year of eligibility under the NCAA’s new five-year eligibility model.
Calling 2026’s NCAA eligibility rules confusing is an understatement, to say the least. The model works so that student-athletes will generally have up to five years of eligibility, assuming they meet any requirements and enter college no later than one academic year after they turn 19 years old.
The model doesn’t guarantee that all athletes will be granted five years of eligibility, but it paves the way for players like Sellers to have a chance at one last season of college basketball. Currently, Sellers is enrolled at SMU and practicing with the team as he awaits his eligibility status.
Oziyah Sellers And Andy Enfield At USC
Sellers began his collegiate career under the Mustangs’ current head coach, Andy Enfield. At the time, Enfield was leading the sidelines for the USC Trojans.
Across his freshman and sophomore seasons, Sellers posted averages of 3.4 points in 10.4 minutes per game. In limited time as a sophomore, he posted 42.9% 3-point shooting, showcasing his outside stroke. But after his first two years in Southern California, Sellers sought more and entered the transfer portal following Enfield leaving the program for SMU.
Now, player and coach reunite in Dallas.
Post-USC And Pre-SMU
Eyeing a bigger role after starting just six games for the Trojans, Sellers landed with Stanford in the transfer portal. There, he’d blossom, starting all 35 of the Cardinal’s games. Sellers had a career year, averaging 13.7 points and 2.8 rebounds (both collegiate highs), while shooting 40.1% from 3-point range on 4.2 attempts per game.
After coming into his own, the Red Storm and coach Rick Pitino reached out.
That brings us to last season, where Sellers’ numbers took a small hit with St. John’s, but he remained effective as a key part of the rotation on a team that went 30-7 and reached the NCAA Tournament’s regional semifinal.
Sellers tallied averages of 10.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists while starting in 36 of the Red Storm’s 37 games. His efficiency dropped to 42.9% from the field and 35.1% from downtown, his lowest marks since he was a freshman.
What Oziyah Sellers Brings To The Mustangs
Still, Sellers projects as an impact piece for SMU’s 2026-27 campaign.
His main draw is his shooting, which has proven to be elite despite his efficiency tailing off at St. John’s. Sellers is a good off-ball mover, finding open space around the 3-point line and making timely cuts for easy finishes. Coming off screens, his efficiency takes a dip, which suggests that Sellers is more comfortable as a standstill shooter rather than a movement shooter.
At 6-foot-5 and 185 pounds, he’s strong enough and a good enough athlete to finish at the rim through contact. He could benefit by leaning on his athleticism more on the defensive end, where he’s no pushover but also not a stopper. Sellers is patient as a pick-and-roll ball handler, tending not to force the issue if he can’t find a good shot.
For a team that lost six players to the transfer portal as well as Jaron Pierre Jr. (selected 58th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2026 NBA Draft) and Boopie Miller (played with the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA Summer League) to the professional ranks, Sellers’ arrival should be greeted with open arms.
Assuming he’s granted a fifth year, Sellers joins a transfer class including Tulane’s Rowan Brumbaugh, the University of Texas’ Nic Codie, Oregon State’s Johan Munch, Santa Clara’s Gehrig Normand, the University of Utah’s Jacob Patrick, UConn’s Jaylin Stewart and UNT’s David Terrell Jr.
