MINNEAPOLIS-Minnesota Gophers freshman guard Kevin Dorsey is seeking to transfer to another program, coach Richard Pitino announced Monday.
Dorsey, who averaged 6.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists this season, was recently reinstated after being suspended the last four games of the season for a sexually explicit video posted on his social media accounts.
"After discussion with Kevin and his family, we all feel that it is best for him to transfer and get closer to home," Pitino said in a statement. "We wish Kevin nothing but the best moving forward, and will assist him in the process in any way that we can."
The Maryland native was a four-star prospect from Clinton Christian Academy and the top recruit in Pitino's 2015 class. Dorsey played a backup role to starting point guard Nate Mason this season.
Dorsey's father, Kevin Sr., told the Pioneer Press a month ago his son's cell phone was stolen at the Mall of America two days before the video was posted. Bloomington police confirmed there was video evidence of the phone being taken.
ADVERTISEMENT
In a statement sent to the Pioneer Press last month, Dorsey's family stated that the video's brief release, and his suspension for the rest of the season, "caused Kevin a great deal of stress and embarrassment, and he feels a tremendous amount of sorrow about how it has impacted his teammates, coaches and the University of Minnesota."
Dorsey entered the season with high expectations as the most high-profile incoming recruit. But before the season opener, the 6-foot, 175-pound point guard was suspended for one exhibition game for failure to meet his academic requirements.
A foot injury during nonconference play sidelined Dorsey for a game. He had a tough time adjusting to the Big Ten coming off the injury, but he averaged 10.5 points in his last six games, which included a season-best 21 points in a loss at Indiana.
Dorsey was excited about beating the team from his hometown when the Gophers upset No. 6 Maryland for their first Big Ten win.
Dorsey's father said previously his son loved playing for the Gophers, but he couldn't say for sure after the suspension if his son would return to the team next season.
A scholarship is now open for next season, and the Gophers have been looking at Tim Coleman from Lee College in Texas, according to GopherIllustrated.com. But Pitino doesn't have to fill Dorsey's spot by adding a point guard to the 2016 class.
Mason and Dupree McBrayer, who also had their suspensions lifted last week, can handle the ball-handling duties, along with incoming four-star recruit Amir Coffey from Hopkins.
