With the remaking of UConn’s roster in progress, guard Terrence Samuel has decided to move on.
Samuel, who played a key role as a freshman in the Huskies’ 2014 championship, asked for his transfer and the school granted his release, UConn announced Thursday.
“Terrence has been a player who has always given his best on the court and in the classroom,” coach Kevin Ollie said. “We thank him for his contributions to the program and wish him good luck and much success in his future endeavors.”
Samuel completed his sophomore academic year with final exams this week. In April, freshman forward Rakim Lubin announced his decision to transfer.
With Lubin and Samuel out of the fold, UConn still has three scholarships available for next season, and would like to fill at least two of them.
The Huskies have added one graduate transfer student, forward Shonn Miller from Cornell, who will be immediately eligible. They are hot on the trail of another transfer, guard Sterling Gibbs from Seton Hall, who is expected to visit UConn next week and make a decision shortly after that.
Samuel, 6 feet 4, from Brooklyn, was the last recruit to commit to UConn before Jim Calhoun retired as coach in September, 2012. He joined the Huskies the next season, but played little until late in his freshman year.
Ollie found Samuel a role as a defensive spark off the bench, and he was an effective player in some of UConn’s biggest victories, most notably in the win over Villanova in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, when Shabazz Napier was in foul trouble.
This past season, Samuel started eight games and averaged 20.4 minutes and 3.6 points. He had 55 assists and 47 turnovers and struggled with his perimeter shooting — he was 0-for-17 on three-point attempts.
With Rodney Purvis returning and incoming freshman Jalen Adams expected to play a major role, Samuel’s playing time in the backcourt did not figure to increase, despite the departure of senior Ryan Boatright. And if Gibbs does choose UConn over other contending schools, including Pittsburgh and Ohio State, it would have squeezed Samuel’s minutes even tighter.
Samuel appeared in a total of 65 games, averaging 3.0 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists. He would be a good fit for a mid-major level program, but will have to sit out a year before becoming eligible to play in 2016-17.
UConn, after finishing sixth in the American Athletic Conference, missing the NCAA Tournament and losing in the first round of the NIT on March 18, has been looking to upgrade its talent and experience, especially in the three-point game. The Huskies play a tough nonconference schedule next season, with games against Maryland, Ohio State, Texas, Georgetown and a strong field in the Battle4Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, and need to be ready to play at a high level from the start of the season.
