Bawa Muniru decides to transfer from IU

All the speculation of the tight scholarship situation the Hoosiers were in for 2011 can now end, as sophomore center Bawa Muniru has decided to leave the program.

“I feel it is in my best interests to pursue my basketball career somewhere else,” Muniru said in a press release. “I have appreciated my time at Indiana.”

Muniru said his main reason for leaving the program is to gain something he did not receive while at IU: time on the court.

During the 2009-10 season, Muniru played an average of only 3.3 minutes per game, averaging 0.6 points and 0.7 rebounds per contest. 

He will have three years of eligibility remaining to play wherever he transfers.

“As a staff, we think the best thing for Bawa is to go to a program where he can play and continue his education,” IU coach Tom Crean said in a press release. “His desire for more playing time was very evident, and we told him that his best opportunity to play the minutes he wanted to was likely going to have to happen somewhere else.”

While Muniru’s transfer will leave the Hoosiers short a big man, the off-season signing of Guy-Marc Michel will help offset the loss.

However, there is something to be gained by Muniru’s decision.

An additional scholarship will now be open for the 2011 recruiting class, leaving the Hoosiers with two scholarships instead of one to hand out.

However, Muniru was not pushed out to make the scholarship available, nor was the decision based on academics. Rather, it was his choice to seek more playing time.

“He deserves to have an opportunity to gain the minutes that he needs to achieve his dreams,” Crean said via Twitter. “In all reality that was more than likely not here. Selfishly we would not want him to go but he needs minutes and a chance to grow on the court.”

Crean further stated the only way Muniru can grow as a player would be through additional minutes on the court and that a junior college would be the best opportunity for him to gain that experience.

It should prove interesting who the Hoosiers will get to fill Muniru’s scholarship spot, as many highly ranked recruits remain unsigned in the 2011 class.

However, for now, the focus remains on Muniru making it easy on the Hoosiers and deciding to leave on his own.

“We always want to give our players the best opportunity for growth as a player and as a person,” Crean said. “He has worked extremely hard in the classroom, and we appreciate all that he has done in representing the program.”