Joey Shaw leaving IU basketball team

At least one basketball player will jump off the Hoosier bandwagon before the start of next season. On Wednesday, The Twin Falls, Idaho Times-News reported that Joey Shaw will be transferring to The College of Southern Idaho. \nShaw’s transfer comes after a season in which he saw little playing time. Although he appeared in 31 of 32 games last season, Shaw’s time on the court was often sporadic and decreased during tournament play. \nThe 6-foot-6 guard averaged 4.5 points per game last season and scored in double-digits in four contests. In his finest game as a Hoosier, Shaw came off the bench to score 19 points in 18 minutes, helping Indiana defeat Purdue on Jan. 10. \nAt Southern Idaho, Shaw will be reunited with two of his former Arizona Magic AAU teammates, who also elected to transfer to the school recently. Before coming to IU, Shaw played at Deer Valley High School in Glendale, Ariz. \nIn addition to his two former teammates, Shaw will also be reunited with Southern Idaho assistant coach Jeff Renegar, who announced the transfer.\nRenegar told the Twin Fall Times-News that he has known Shaw since his sophomore year of high school and said, ‘He’s just a great kid. (He) can do it all.”\nAlthough rumors of Shaw’s departure have been circulating for two months, it appears the move came as a surprise to IU coach Kelvin Sampson. On April 26, Sampson said in a statement that Shaw would be returning to IU’s backcourt. \nSampson singled out Shaw and Armon Bassett in the interview, saying the two players “impressed me the most of anyone on the team” this offseason. \nBut with six incoming recruits this fall, several who play the same position, Shaw’s playing time was not expected to see an increase anytime in the near future. Junior College Player of the Year Jamarcus Ellis and Crane Tech’s Brandon McGee are two of the players expected to fill the void left by Shaw. \nWith his transfer, Shaw will have an opportunity to showcase his abilities on a regular basis. Unlike if he were transferring to a NCAA Division I school, Shaw will not be forced to sit out a season before becoming eligible. After completing the 2007-08 season at CSI, Shaw will have the option to transfer to any school in the nation, including a Division I, for his junior and senior years, without penalty. \nDue to the timing of Shaw’s transfer, it is unlikely the Hoosiers will use Shaw’s scholarship for the upcoming season. Rather, they will likely save it for the class of 2008, which they are recruiting heavily. The Hoosiers will have four to six scholarships available to hand out to the class of 2008. \nIU had no comment on Shaw’s departure.