Arizona coach Sean Miller finally issued the statement today that has been pretty obvious for weeks, if not months.
âElliott Pitts has informed the athletics department that he intends to transfer from the University of Arizona for the upcoming school year to continue his education," Miller said in a statement released at 4:30 p.m. today. "We wish him well in the future."
Pitts' departure became increasingly likely once he left the Wildcats for good in February, having sat on the bench since Dec. 9 for a still-unspecified off-court issue.Â
Several people close to Pitts have declined to comment or return calls about his situation and future. It is not clear what schools he is considering.
Pitts wound up playing two seasons and seven games of his junior season for Arizona. He played in 69 games and started three, appearing in all 38 games as a sophomore and seven this season as a junior, when he started out as possibly UA's top perimeter defender.
But Pitts wound up spending most of the season on the bench and a permanent departure became all but certain after Arizona signed Aussie forward Keanu Pinder last weekend, thus putting the Wildcats one over the 13-player scholarship limit if Pitts was counted.
ICYMI, we broke down a roster without Pitts in a Monday blog post and, in a story for Tuesday's edition, looked at the positionless strategy that Miller might go with next season.
