SoCalHoops Recruiting News

Luke Minor Leaves USC--(May 31, 2001)

Not much unexpected news today from USC, in fact some fairly predictable tidbits in today's LA Daily News.  Scott Wolfe, who covers the Trojans for the Daily News (and the rest of the sister papers, e.g., the LB Press Telegram, Pasadena Star-News, etc) writes that USC's reserve center Luke Minor (7'-3" So. C) will return to the east coast, transferring to Hagerstown College in Maryland, where he will spend at least a year before trying to transfer to another four year institution, possibly Virginia.

According to Wolfe, Minor "had been experiencing academic problems this year but said he had not been declared ineligible. He said he met with USC coach Henry Bibby two weeks ago and was welcomed back to the program. "I didn't like the way everything was going," Minor said. `I wanted to stay away from L.A. It's not me. USC's not me. This makes a clean break. I need to play." Minor, who is from Richmond, Va., said he hopes eventually to transfer to Virginia or Virginia Tech."

Minor was also criticized by some within the athletic department for not spending his summers in Los Angeles but instead returning to Richmond, where he was seen frequently around town, including at local amusement parks like the Great America Amusement park just outside of Richmond. Minor, the tallest player in USC history, is the third player to depart from the 1999-2000 recruiting class, joining guards Malachi Thurston and Rashad Jones.  this could leave only rarely used center Kostas Charissis as the only player from that class

Wolfe also noted that "In addition to departure of seniors Brian Scalabrine, Jarvis Turner, Jeff Trepagnier and Tyler Murphy, it remains to be seen whether senior forward Sam Clancy will return. Clancy has made himself available for the NBA draft."

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