Forward Hassan Fofana has decided to leave the Terrapin men’s basketball team and plans to transfer after this semester because of a lack of playing time, coach Gary Williams announced Saturday.
The 6-foot-10- inch, 280-pound sophomore played a total of 29 minutes this season, seeing action in four of the team’s first six games. Fofana has not made his future plans publicly known.
“Why do players leave? Because they’re not playing,” Williams said. “Nowadays, players want to play right away. Sometimes it’s a positive thing for a player to get a fresh start.”
Williams said Fofana leaves in good academic standing, and said he wishes Fofana well in the future.
The coach said he has no plans to bring in another player for the remainder of the season, and said he is confident he still has enough size on his bench. Williams will have another scholarship to dole out either next season or for the 2006-07 campaign.
Fofana came off the bench in 28 games last season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.7 rebounds in an average of eight minutes per game.
He was expected to compete for minutes on the front line this season, but junior Travis Garrison, sophomore Ekene Ibekwe and freshman James Gist have received most of the playing time in the post. It became apparent in recent games that Fofana sat behind fellow sophomore big-man Will Bowers on the depth chart.
Without Fofana, Bowers is likely to see even more time on the court. Bowers played 14 minutes yesterday, the longest stint of his career.
“No one was happy when he decided to leave,” Bowers said. “I’ve got to look at [his leaving] in terms of now I have a great opportunity. It sucks to look at it that way, but I’ll have more reps in practice.”
Originally from Guinea, Fofana has lived with a guardian in Weston, Mass., since age 17. He didn’t begin playing basketball until around then, but picked up the game quickly enough to average 16.5 points and 10.1 rebounds in his senior season at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia.
The team hoped he would evolve into a wide post-player who could be effective with his back to the basket, like former Terp Lonny Baxter.
By leaving before the end of the semester, Fofana is eligible to join another team’s lineup for the spring semester next season. Players are mandated to sit out a year after transferring under NCAA regulations.
Fofana could not be reached for comment, but the team announced his destination has not been determined.
“I wish the best for him, wherever Hassan decides to go,” junior guard John Gilchrist said. “I just hope he continues to work hard and keeps his head up, and he’ll be in my prayers.”
This is the second consecutive year a Terp player has transferred before the second semester. Guard Andre Collins announced Dec. 10, 2003 that he was leaving the program and has since joined former Terp assistant coach Jimmy Patsos at Loyola College as a redshirt.
