The blows keep coming for the UF basketball team.
Sophomore forward Alex Tyus announced his intention to transfer from UF on Friday.
"Coach Donovan and I had a chance to talk about my future, and we agreed on the best course of action," Tyus said in a statement. "I want to thank my coaches, my teammates and the fans at Florida. I enjoyed my two years here, and now I look forward to the next chapter of my life."
Tyus was second on UF in scoring this season, averaging 12.5 points per game. He was the Gators' only real option in the paint, bringing in a team-high 6.2 rebounds.
"Sometimes for guys, they want something different," UF coach Billy Donovan said. "For Alex, I enjoyed coaching him for two years, but at the same point he wants to do things for himself. That's a decision that he has to make on his own about what he wants."
The 6-foot-8 Tyus, a natural power forward, was forced to play center this season in the undersized UF frontcourt.
"As a coach you know there is a certain vision and a certain path that's necessary for the team going forward, and I think that Alex, that's not really what he wanted to do," Donovan said. "And I respect that. I wish him luck, and I hope he can get what he's looking for."
Tyus started all 36 games this season for the Gators and shot nearly 60 percent from the field.
He is the 10th Gator to transfer since the 2003-04 season. Tyus's decision to leave comes on the heels of Allan Chaney's recent transfer as well as news that recruit DeShawn Painter has been released from the letter of intent he signed in November.
Although Tyus has not addressed the media since he announced his decision to transfer Friday, he dispelled some rumors through his Facebook page, writing that his decision had nothing to do with academic problems.
"I decided to transfer because i (sic) did not feel that I was going to get the oppurtunity (sic) to become the best player I can be, along with a few other basketball factors," Tyus said.
