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It’s been a few days since the transfer season for basketball players really started, and I was wondering if this off season would be a quiet one for the Utes, but that changed today. It was announced by the Utah athletic department and Coach Krystkowiak that Devon Daniels and JoJo Zamora are leaving the program.
Daniels, a very talented freshman, showed great potential in the past season, led the Utes in scoring on multiple occasions, and had quite a tear in the December Janurary time frame. The future was bright for the young man at Utah, but things turned for him near the end of the season when he was suspended by Coach K. Things looked to be on the upswing for the young man when he was reinstated for the last couple of games, but it seems there may have been some outstanding issues that weren’t resolved, leading to him leaving the program.
The JoJo Zamora news surprises me, because he seemed to be a nice rotation player for the Utes, although, he did fall out of the rotation at times near the end of the season, in favor of Gabe Bealer. While Daniels didn’t really surprise me, the Zamora news did, and I was looking forward to having him (and Daniels for that matter) back in a Utah uniform, because I thought he could spread the floor well.
Regardless, both are moving on, and per Coach K, it may be for some off court issues, but we really won’t know for sure.
What are your thoughts on the losses?
Here’s the official press release, with a strong quote by Coach K:
SALT LAKE CITY – Utah head men’s basketball coach Larry Krystkowiak announced Thursday that freshman Devon Daniels and junior JoJo Zamora will not return to the team for the 2017-18 season.
“There are certain responsibilities and expectations that are critical in being a member of our program,” Krystkowiak said. “We wish these young men the very best in their future endeavors.”
Daniels played in 29 games for the Utes this past season. He averaged 9.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game as a true freshman.
Zamora, who transferred to Utah from Yuba College, played in all 32 games this past season, registering 6.9 points and 1.4 boards per game for the Utes.