ARIZONA BASKETBALL

Arizona Wildcats guard Justin Simon to transfer

Mar 28, 2016, 10:12 AM

Arizona guard Justin Simon shoots next to Washington forward Noah Dickerson during the second half ...

Arizona guard Justin Simon shoots next to Washington forward Noah Dickerson during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Thursday, Jan. 14, 2016, in Tucson, Ariz. Arizona defeated Washington 99-67. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Justin Simon came to Arizona as a highly-regarded recruit.

After one season, he is leaving having made little mark on the program, as it was announced Monday he has decided to transfer from the school.

“I enjoyed my year at the University of Arizona,” Simon said in a press release. “I would like to thank my coaching staff, teammates and the incredible fans here for all they did for me. My decision to transfer is centered on playing time. I would like a bigger role as a basketball player. Hopefully, I will be able to find this at my next program.”

Rated a four-star prospect by ESPN and a five-star player by Rivals, the 6-foot-5 Simon found it difficult to crack Sean Miller’s rotation as a freshman. He averaged 7.5 minutes in 24 games, pouring in 2.3 points and 1.2 rebounds per game.

“Justin did an outstanding job in our program this year,” Miller said.  “He was an excellent student and teammate while representing our program in a first-class manner at all times. I look forward to helping him in any way I can as he transitions to another university to reach his goals.”

Simon played a season-high 18 minutes in a December win over Northern Arizona, and in that game he scored nine points, grabbed two rebounds and tallied one assist.

The guard saw an uptick in minutes during a January stretch when fellow freshman guard Allonzo Trier was sidelined with a hand injury, but saw his minutes decrease substantially late in the season. Including the Wildcats’ first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament, Simon did not play in seven of the team’s final 11 games.

Along with playing time, it’s likely Simon is transferring in part because of Arizona’s 2016 recruiting class, which already features two five-star rated guards in Kobi Simmons and Rawle Alkins and could be on the verge of adding another one or two in the near future.

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