Kevin Easley has decided to transfer from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, just a couple of weeks after being named the Southern Conference freshman of the year for men’s basketball.
UTC coach Lamont Paris admitted he was surprised by the decision, which he learned of during Wednesday’s meetings with individual players that follow each season.
“It caught me off guard,” Paris said. “Kev came in here and said he had met with his family and they had decided it made more sense to be closer to home for him. He thanked us for what we did for him and the opportunity we gave him and that we did a good job with him.”
Easley, who is from Indianapolis, led the Mocs this season in scoring (14.2 points per game) and rebounding (6.7), shooting nearly 40 percent from 3-point range. ESPN made the 6-foot-6, 232-pound forward a four-star prospect during his stellar career at Lawrence North High School.
Paris said Easley, who had more than 20 scholarship offers from Division I programs before signing with the Mocs, did not say where he plans to transfer. Paris added he did not believe Easley was unhappy with UTC coaches, the university or his teammates.