The news came out on April Fools Day but it was no joke, Trevian Bell will be finishing his college basketball career elsewhere.

The 6’7″ Joliet, Illinois native announced his decision to leave via Twitter on Wednesday night.

“Over the past 3 years in college at Green Bay I have learned a lot about myself and about life as a whole, and I’m forever grateful for the memories I share with my brothers and people I met along the way,” Bell wrote.

“With that being said, after many long conversations with my closest friends and family, I have decided to enter the transfer portal to finish my college career elsewhere, and continue to maximize my potential as a player, and as a man.”

Bell appeared in 95 games for the Phoenix over the last 3 seasons and averaged 5.5 points and 2.8 rebounds in 15.2  minutes per game during his career in Green Bay. A reliable role player, his production improved in each of his three seasons with the Phoenix including averaging a career high 6.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game this past season as a junior.

His best stretch of basketball came during Green Bay’s run to the CollegeInsider.com Tournament championship game last year where he averaged 13.3 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in the four games leading up to the championship game loss at Marshall, including a career high 21-point performance in a semifinal victory over Texas Southern at the Kress Center.

He reached double figures in scoring 7 times this past season as a junior and was expected to play a bigger role next season as a senior.

“Thank you to everyone a part of Green Bay staff and community that has accepted me and helped me transition from a kid fresh out of high school to a mature young man,” Bell wrote. “Most importantly I would like to thank my coaches and my brothers for pushing me everyday to get better and allowing me to make mistakes and learn from them.”

“I am thankful for everything I’ve learned and I am excited to see what the future holds!!”

Bell will have to sit out next season before playing out his senior year due to NCAA transfer rules, though that could change if the NCAA adopts a proposed rule change this summer that would eliminate the requirement that athletes sit out a season when transferring.

However, conferences could still potentially create their own rules for transfers within a conference which may come into play should Bell decide to join former Joilet West High School teammate Teyvion Kirk at UIC.  Kirk announced his decision to transfer to UIC on Monday after sitting out last season as a transfer at Colorado State.

Bell’s departure now leaves the Phoenix with two open scholarships to fill after Hunter Crist announced his decision last month to graduate and finish career elsewhere. Crist will play his final season at Binghamton in the America East Conference.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced the NCAA to extend its recruiting dead period until May 31st meaning coaches are not allowed to visit with prospects in person and recruits are not allowed to visit campuses, throwing a wrench into the typical spring recruiting period.

Green Bay has five signed recruits for next season – high school prospects Jacob Jones and Ryan Claflin and JUCO transfers Blayton Williams, Leon Ayers, and Paris Taylor.