Kentucky forward Sacha Killeya-Jones was granted a full release from his scholarship on Monday. (Kentucky Today/Keith Taylor)
By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Add Sacha Killeya-Jones to the list of players leaving the Kentucky men’s basketball team.
Killeya-Jones, a sophomore, was granted a full release with no restrictions by Kentucky coach John Calipari on Monday. Killeya-Jones was a five-star recruit from Chapel Hill North Carolina and averaged 3.1 points, and 2.7 rebounds per game last season. Killeya-Jones played in 49 games during his career and scored a career-high 12 points against UT-Martin during his freshman campaign.
“It’s never easy for me seeing a player go, especially when it’s someone you’ve seen grow as much as Sacha has and someone you want to continue to coach,” Calipari said. “I truly believe Sacha was just starting to find out who he is and that his best days are ahead of him. I still believe that whether he’s here or someone else.
“With that said, when a kid comes to me and believes what’s best for him is somewhere else, they always have my full support. We want what’s best for these kids and will always do whatever we can to make sure they can pursue their dreams. Our staff wishes Sacha nothing but the best.”
Killeya-Jones said the past two years have been “an amazing journey” and is looking forward to his next challenge.
“I want to thank all of my coaches, teammates and fans who made it possible,” Killeya-Jones said. “After much deliberation with my family, I have decided that it is in my best interest to ask for my release and explore other opportunities at this time. Thank you for your support through this process.”
This past season, Killeya-Jones scored 16 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and added four blocks in Kentucky’s wins over Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference Tournament.
Last Friday, Kevin Knox announced his plans to hire and agent and enter the NBA Draft, while PJ Washington opted to enter the draft but has more plans of hiring an agent.
Keith Taylor is sports editor for Kentucky Today. Reach him at keith.taylor@kentuckytoday.com or twitter @keithtaylor21.
