Rutgers transfer Paul Mulcahy announces destination

Paul Mulcahy has found a new home.

The former Rutgers guard is transferring to Washington, he announced Tuesday, choosing the Huskies over other finalists Notre Dame and Xavier. He took an official visit to all three finalists, a person with knowledge of the situation told NJ Advance Media.

The cross-country move to the Pac-12 program means he is unlikely to face the Scarlet Knights, barring a meeting in the NCAA Tournament. A “big NIL (name, image and likeness) package” from the Huskies is in play, according to 247Sports, which likely played a significant role in Mulcahy’s decision.

“I believe that the Covid year has been a blessing for me to have another chance to chase my dream,” he told On3. “I think Washington has some elite pieces over there and are hungry to win at a high level. I believe this decision will make me push myself harder than ever before.”

Mulcahy announced his intention to enter the transfer portal and play his fifth and final season of college basketball elsewhere on Friday, June 9. After wrestling with the decision for the previous month, changing his mind a handful of times, he decided to follow in the footsteps of former teammate Cam Spencer, who stunned the Scarlet Knights by transferring out in mid-May and eventually committing to defending national champion UConn.

Along with visits to Washington, Xavier and Notre Dame, Mulcahy also received interest from Kentucky, Gonzaga and Michigan. He ultimately elected to spend his final season of college basketball in Seattle.

Like Spencer, Mulcahy is a graduate transfer, so he will be immediately eligible with the Huskies. He will look to earn a spot as his new program’s full-time point guard, a position that was not guaranteed for him with the Scarlet Knights, which played a sizable role in his decision to leave Piscataway after four seasons.

Mulcahy tested the NBA Draft waters this offseason, but he did not get invited to the NBA Draft combine or the G-League Elite Camp. After undergoing a pair of workouts with NBA teams, including the Western Conference champion Denver Nuggets on Memorial Day weekend, Mulcahy pulled his name out of draft consideration, signaling his likely return to college basketball.

A three-year starter in Piscataway, Mulcahy helped Rutgers break a 30-year NCAA Tournament drought as a sophomore, helped it return to March Madness for a second consecutive season as a junior and nearly led the Scarlet Knights to a third consecutive appearance for the first time in program history as a senior.

Mulcahy struggled for stretches last winter as he dealt with a nagging shoulder injury that he sustained in November. He averaged 8.3 points on a career-low 41.6% shooting (43% on twos, 37% on threes) while dishing 4.9 assists to two turnovers and forcing 1.5 steals. Mulcahy had his best year statistically as a junior, averaging a career high in scoring (nine points per game), assists (5.3), rebounds (4.1) and free throw shooting percentage (77.6%)….