Nicky Galasso Gets Release From North Carolina

The transfer rumor machine runs on gasoline and good ol' American combustion. Nicky Galasso, formerly the top-rated recruit in the Class of 2010 by Inside Lacrosse, just poured jet fuel into the chamber and we'll see if everything just explodes.

North Carolina announced today that Galasso, an attack from West Islip, New York, was granted a release to explore transfer opportunities effective righthisverysecond:

Galasso has indicated he plans to complete the fall semester academically at UNC before transferring for the spring semester to another NCAA Division I lacrosse program.

"Obviously, it's disappointing to have a young man like Nicky leave our program. We appreciate all that he has brought to Carolina lacrosse over the past two years and we wish him the best of luck both academically and athletically at his new school. Nicky leaves here in great academic standing and we're proud of the way he achieved in the classroom at UNC," said Breschi.

Galasso only scratched the surface of his ability while in Chapel Hill, earning ACC Freshman of the Year honors and a thrid-team All-America nod in his first season with the Tar Heels in 2011, putting together 56 points on 24 goals and 32 assists. The attack only saw spot duty in 2012 while recovering from a nasty flat tire that curbed his ability to perform.

The question now is where does Galasso end up. North Carolina's release of Galasso doesn't necessarily mean that Galasso will transfer, but the likelihood of him returning to the Tar Heels is pretty damn small. College lacrosse is outside of its traditional summer transfer window, so Galasso's options (or the options he expects and may want) at this point may be somewhat limited due to various circumstances. The attack is going to be in high demand for his services, it's just a matter of what is available to him and where he wants to land.

Galasso can play -- assuming that he's no longer hampered by the foot injury (which Breschi said was no longer an issue) -- and he will likely help out any team he ends up with in a significant fashion. This is going to be one of the most fervent recruitments of a transfer that the game has seen in quite a while.

As for Carolina, they look to be okay despite its release of the attackman (even though Galasso is a great talent). The Heels return Jimmy Bitter, Marcus Holman, Joey Sankey to anchor the attack (the team's three-best point totalers in 2012). The loss of Galasso does limit the team's experienced depth at attack, but Breschi and offensive coordinator Pat Myers still have tons of material to work with (both in-close and through the midfield).

Here we go.