Sophomore guard Jonathan Howard and junior center Tyson Johnston have left the ASU men's basketball program, head coach Rob Evans announced Friday.
The decision comes less than two weeks after the Sun Devils suffered a season-ending loss at Nevada-Las Vegas in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament. Both Howard and Johnston played sparingly this past year as ASU struggled its way to a 14-15 record.
"We appreciate both these players' efforts, the enthusiasm they had for the program and the way they handled themselves as student-athletes," Evans said.
Howard will transfer to another school with the hopes of receiving more playing time. Johnston is going to stay at ASU to finish his sociology degree but won't play next season.
After seeing action in 18 games during the 2000-01 campaign, Howard's minutes decreased dramatically when the Sun Devils added more depth in the off-season. The Phoenix Brophy College Preparatory product played in just 10 games last year, averaging 6.7 minutes per contest.
"At this point in my career, it is in my best interests to transfer and look at schools where I could get more playing time," Howard said. "I have nothing but respect for coach Evans and the staff at Arizona State and appreciate my opportunity."
ASU's coaching staff asked Howard to utilize a redshirt year midway through the season because of the logjam at the guard position. But Howard declined, saying he wanted to be part of the team, no matter how much he played.
Howard, who battled through an irregular heartbeat earlier in the year, got even less time when Pac-10 play began, logging only 21 minutes in six outings. He shot 44.4 percent (8 of 18) from the field on the season, finishing with an average of 2.2 points per game.
"He is a great person, a great student and a tremendous team player," Evans said. "We will help him find a place to transfer."
While Howard showed some potential early in his career, Johnston never molded into the type of player some thought he could be. The 7-foot, 264-pound product out of Steamboat Springs, Colo., transferred to ASU from Utah with high expectations in 1999.
After sitting out an NCAA-regulated season, Johnston averaged 10.2 minutes in 26 games during his sophomore year with the Sun Devils, tallying less than two points per contest. Despite losing his athletic scholarship following the season, he opted to stay in Tempe.
But Johnston's time decreased heavily this past year, as he played in only five games. He averaged 0.8 points per contest while hampered with a dislocated kneecap.
The Sun Devils are slated to return 10 players next season. Along with Howard and Johnston, they also lost seniors Brad Nahra, Chad Prewitt and Awvee Storey to graduation. ASU sophomore guard Tanner Shell likely won't come back after taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team in late November.
Reach the reporter at brian.gomez@asu.edu.
