Binghamton took a significant hit to its roster on Friday as the team announced that junior guard Jordan Reed is leaving the program and will seek a transfer. The 6-foot-4 guard has been an All-America East selection the past two seasons after averaging 16.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a freshman and 15.4 points and 8.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
Reed has been on leave from the team since Nov. 26 and he appeared to be butting heads with Bearcat head coach Tommy Dempsey. According to the release, Reed will stay on through the end of the semester and intends to transfer at semester’s end.
“I appreciate the many positive contributions Jordan made to our basketball program the past two plus seasons,” Dempsey said in a statement from the university. “He has a bright future ahead of him and I wish him all the best moving forward.”
Reed also made a statement in the release.
“Over the past two years I have come to love Binghamton University,” Reed said in a statement released through the university. “As a result, leaving this great university is an extremely difficult decision but I felt this was the best choice for me, my family and my future. I have truly enjoyed my time with the Binghamton basketball program. More importantly, I have established relationships with classmates, teammates, faculty members and administrators that will last a lifetime. I wish the team success for the rest of the 2014-15 season.
“For personal reasons, I will be relocating to complete my educational experience. It’s been an honor to be a student at Binghamton and be inspired by the talented and committed faculty. In addition to my research and study, I enjoyed participating in the community service on campus and in the Greater Binghamton area. I appreciate the directors, coaches and staff for providing me with the resources to train and develop athletically. Thank you to all of the students, faculty, staff and the community for your support.”
Reed only started one game this season for Binghamton and missed the team’s shootaround before the Army game and was benched. This is a huge loss for the Bearcats in the short term, but if Reed was causing a disturbance and didn’t want to be there then it’s likely best he moved on.
It will be interesting to see what kind of transfer market Reed has this winter. He’s an experienced and productive wing who could up-transfer to a bigger conference if the right program needs an experienced player for next season.