Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

5/24/2010 at 2:30pm

[2 p.m.] Arkansas State coach John Brady has issued a statement regarding the potential transfer of Brandon Reed, the Sun Belt Conference freshman of the year.

It's safe to say Brady is none too pleased with the guard's decision. Here's the statement:

“Brandon Reed, through his father, has asked for permission to pursue other opportunities as it relates to his basketball future. We have not as an institution given him a release at this time. I have talked with Brandon and his parents at length over the last week. Arkansas State gave him an opportunity to play at a high level and put him in a system that allowed him to showcase his talent and prove himself as a player in his first year of Division I basketball. We gave him a scholarship when other schools that saw him did not. It is a situation that really disappoints me, upsets me, is not right and does not sit well with me. But let me be clear, I have and always will want players at Arkansas State that want to be here, want to wear the scarlet and black and be totally committed without reservation to win the Sun Belt Conference and go to the NCAA Tournament. We have a wonderful school, great fans and have created an opportunity for us to accomplish our goals. This situation does not detour, nor does it stop, the desire or enthusiasm I have for this program and this community. We will continue to recruit good players that appreciate and are committed to this university.”

Wow.

It's not often you see a statement like that, but Brady seems to have a point. ASU was joined in offering Reed out of Georgia's Whitefield Academy high school by George Mason and Georgia State.

Reed was a budding star for the Red Wolves. He averaged 15.1 points per game and was a second-team all-Sun Belt pick.

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Is Arkansas State losing Brandon Reed, the Sun Belt Conference freshman of the Year?

That's the word from Jeff Goodman at FoxSports.com. Goodman sent out a Monday morning message via Twitter that Reed plans to leave ASU.

Sources told FOXSports.com that the Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, Arkansas State guard Brandon Reed, intends to transfer.

If true, it's a blow for the Red Wolves on a couple of levels.

Reed averaged 15.1 point per game for ASU, which finished 17-15 overall and 11-7 in the Sun Belt. Also, the program is under scrutiny for a poor Academic Progress Rate score and an additional transfer would not be good.

No word was immediately available from Jonesboro. ArkansasSports360.com will be monitoring this story.

Stay tuned.