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Report: Houston guard decides to leave the program

Houston Sampson Basketball

New Houston NCAA college basketball coach Kelvin Sampson signals after being introduced as the head basketball coach Thursday, April 3, 2014, in Houston, Texas. Houston introduced Sampson confident that he can bring the once-proud program back to prominence and undeterred by his past improprieties with the NCAA. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Billy Smith II)

AP

New Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson relied heavily on junior college transfers to rebuild the Cougar roster this spring when he took over the job. One of those key junior college signees was guard Torian Graham, a former N.C. State signee out of high school who ended up at Chipola College in Florida after not being cleared by the NCAA.

But it appears that Graham will never play a game for Sampson, as the guard has left the program, according to a report from Joseph Duarte of the Houston Chronicle.

Graham did not play in Houston’s season opener against Murray State and is opting to leave the program for personal reasons.

“Though disappointed with his decision, I enjoyed working with Torian and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Sampson said to Duarte.

The 6-foot-4 Graham averaged 12.4 points per game at Chipola last season and was a highly-regarded prospect out of high school. Rivals regarded Graham as a four-star prospect out of high school and he was rated as the No. 67 overall player in the 2012 class.

Graham is a native of Durham, NC and could opt to play closer to home. Although Houston could have used Graham’s athleticism and scoring punch in its back court this season, it’s probably best to allow him to leave if he doesn’t want to be there before the season truly gets rolling.

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