Sophomore Kelvin Grady has decided to leave the Michigan men’s basketball team with the intention of transferring to another school, Michigan coach John Beilein said in a statement released by the Athletic Department yesterday.
- Said Alsalah / Daily
- Kelvin Grady of the Michigan Wolverines plays against Iowa at Crisler Arena on Sunday, January 11th 2008.
“Kelvin has asked for his release from the program and we will grant that to him,” Beilein said in the statement. “Over the last two years, he has been a positive influence in helping build the foundation of our program. He is a wonderful young man on and off the floor. We wish him nothing but success in the future.”
The statement did not say where he will transfer.
The announcement comes on the heels of the Wolverines’ first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998. Michigan lost to Oklahoma in the second round. But Grady saw his playing time severely decrease during his sophomore year, including just five combine minutes in the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s been a wonderful experience both as a student and as a player here at the University of Michigan, but I feel I need a fresh start,” said Grady in the statement. “I love this university and want to thank the coaching staff, my teammates and everyone else who has supported me over the past two years. However, I have decided to explore other academic and playing opportunities at this time.”
This season, Grady started just eight games, played a total of 574 minutes and sat out three games. Last year, the Grand Rapids native started 25-of-32 games, played a total of 782 minutes and saw action in every game.
As a sophomore, Grady averaged 4.2 points, 1.9 assists and 1.3 rebounds per game, down from 5.6, 2.8 and 1.9 as a freshman.
Although the team’s spirits in the locker room were high during Michigan’s run to the postseason, there was speculation that Grady wasn’t happy with his playing time. But the players who took Grady’s spot as starting point guard, fifth-year seniors C.J. Lee and David Merritt, have run out of eligibility.
That leaves next year’s starting point guard spot to a slew of players. Most notably is 6-foot-3-inch, 175-pound incoming freshman Darius Morris from Windward High School in Los Angeles. Morris, a four-star recruit according to Rivals.com, has already signed is letter of intent to play for Michigan.
Other players that could fill the spot are redshirt freshman guard Laval Lucas-Perry and freshman guard Stu Douglass.