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Rutgers leading scorer the past two years, Eli Carter, officially received his release from the program on Friday and is expected to transfer.
(David Butler II/USA Today Sports)
Saying "it's time for me to move on now," Eli Carter has apparently played his last game for Rutgers basketball.
The Paterson native, who led the Scarlet Knights in scoring for the last two seasons, received his release from the program on Friday and appears set to transfer to another school. He made the announcement on his Twitter page shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday afternoon.
"I have officially been released from Rutgers mens basketball team and I'm exploring all options," Carter wrote.
He then added in a follow-up tweet: "My experience at Rutgers has been great but it's time for me to move on now! I appreciate you all. Thanks!"
Carter had asked to be released from his scholarship a week ago in the wake of the fallout from the Mike Rice scandal at Rutgers earlier this month. As part of the release process, Rutgers had seven business days from last Friday — April 12 — in order to make the decision whether or not to release Carter from his scholarship.
In two seasons with Rutgers, Carter led the team in scoring both years. His freshman year, Carter averaged 13.8 points per game and 14.9 this past season. However, Carter's sophomore year was cut short in mid-February when he fractured his right fibula going for a rebound in a loss to DePaul.
He is now the fifth player from this past year's team to transfer from the program since the conclusion of the season.
Both Malick Kone and Vincent Garrett — rarely-used during their brief tenures in Piscataway — announced their intentions to transfer immediately following the season. But in the days and weeks since Rice's abusive actions during practices were brought to light, key cogs began to defect from the Scarlet Knights program. Sophomore Jerome Seagears — who was brought in with Carter as part of Rice's heralded recruiting class two years ago — asked for his release when Rice was fired on April 3.
Junior Mike Poole asked and received his release from Rutgers earlier this week, with Carter following suit a day later.
Their defections leave to-be-named head coach Eddie Jordan with a shrinking roster as he awaits to be officially introduced as Rice's replacement, which could happen as early as next week. Jordan, the 58-year old current assistant coach with the Los Angeles Lakers and three-time head coach in the league, agreed to a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract on Thursday.
However, the former Scarlet Knights star who was part of the school's only Final Four team in 1976, must wait to have the contract approved by the university's Board of Governors.
Jordan will have to work quickly to retain the rest of the Scarlet Knights roster for next season, which currently will only return four players who saw regular minutes last season. He will keep two of Rice's assistants — interim head coach David Cox and assistant Van Macon — on his staff to help stem the tide of departing players. Cox, who served as the interim head coach for Rice during his suspension for his actions back in December, is popular among the players.
However, the lone remaining key piece — guard Myles Mack, a former St. Anthony High and Paterson Catholic standout — is believed to be reconsidering his commitment to the Scarlet Knights program.
In an interview with the Star-Ledger on Thursday shortly after Jordan's agreement with Rutgers leaked out, Mack's head coach at St. Anthony — Bob Hurley — said that the guard was "up in the air" about returning.
"I think what’s going to happen is, no one wants to be the last one standing," Hurley said. "Then, you face a situation where it becomes, 'I have to play in the Big Ten (in 2014) and who else is on the team?'"
According to a report Thursday from SNY.tv, advisors to both Seagears and Poole said that those players will not be returning to Rutgers. And with Carter now following suit, Jordan's hiring may have come too late.