Center Joshua Smith is quitting UCLA’s basketball team and the school gave him his immediate release.
He’s the second player to leave the program recently. Junior guard Tyler Lamb said last weekend that he would transfer to another school to pursue more playing time.
Smith, a former Kentwood High School star, says he’s leaving the Bruins for “personal reasons,” although he says he enjoyed his two-plus seasons with the program.
The junior averaged 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds while playing 13.5 minutes a game in UCLA’s six games this season.
Coach Ben Howland called Smith “a fine young man who has meant a lot to this program.”
Smith started 24 of 65 games during his first two seasons, which were marked by struggles with weight and conditioning.
At No. 9 Arizona 93, Northern Arizona 50: Mark Lyons scored 18 points, Nick Johnson had 10 points and seven assists, and the Wildcats beat the Lumberjacks for the 29th straight time.
Arizona (4-0) showed no signs of rust after an eight-day break. The Wildcats built an 18-point lead in the first half and shut down Northern Arizona in the second for their 29th straight win over the Lumberjacks (2-4).
At Arizona State 67, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54: Carrick Felix scored 21 points, and the Sun Devils used a second-half run to beat the Golden Lions (1-5).
Arizona State (5-1) ran off 17 straight points to take a 54-39 lead with 9:11 left after leading by 11 in the first half.
At SMU 62, Utah 55: Jalen Jones scored 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, and the Mustangs beat the Utes (4-2) to improve to 7-1 under new coach Larry Brown for their best start in six years.
SMU took the lead for good by scoring the last 11 points before halftime. The Mustangs made their first six 3-pointers of the game, including three in a first half, ending a 17-3 run that included those last 11 points.
At Stanford 68, Seattle 57: Andy Brown scored a career-high 17 points and Dwight Powell had a career-high 13 rebounds to lead the Cardinal (5-3) past the Redhawks (2-2).
Prince Obasi had career highs of 18 points and eight rebounds for Seattle U. Redshirt freshman Deshaun Sunderhaus added 12 points and a career-high 11 rebounds.
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