www.courant.com/sports/college/husky/men/hcu-wiggins-0414,0,5073042.storyCourant.com
Wiggins To Leave UConnBy MIKE ANTHONY
Courant Staff Writer
5:16 PM EDT, April 15, 2008
Sophomore guard Doug Wiggins of East Hartford asked to be released from his scholarship on Monday and will transfer out of UConn, according to his former high school basketball coach, Anthony Menard.
"It was a good experience for him," Menard said Tuesday. "He respects coach [Jim] Calhoun, loves UConn, but the bottom line is he wants to play. It's pretty rare you get an opportunity to play under a Hall of Fame coach in your home state, but Doug feels it's time to become part of a program that has the right style of play and allows him to play point guard and handle the ball."
Wiggins will have to sit out a year if he transfers to a Division I school.
"Now you just find out who's interested," Menard said. "It doesn't matter what the front of the jersey says to Doug anymore, it's about being at the right program."
As a UConn freshman Wiggins averaged 6.8 points and 2.1 rebounds in 17.6 minutes. His numbers did not change much this season when he averaged 6.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in just under 19 minutes a game.
Wiggins was suspended for two games this season in an incident involving teammate Jerome Dyson.
Police said they found 1.2 grams of marijuana in a glassine bag beneath a car belonging to Wiggins after he and Dyson were approached while parked in a lot off campus in Storrs shortly before midnight on Jan. 24. The police report also said that a police dog led officers to find a "trace amount" of marijuana in the car and both players made "furtive movements."
Maj. Ronald Blicher, a spokesman for the UConn police, said police did not have grounds to arrest either player on drug charges because officers could not establish that they were in possession of the marijuana, an amount found in the car that he said was "almost like a piece of dust." Wiggins and Dyson were both cited for underage possession of alcohol because police said they had bottles of cognac and Grey Goose vodka hidden under a floor mat.
Wiggins was given a summons for driving with a suspended license.
The university required both players to take drug tests after the incident. Although Wiggins passed the drug test, he was suspended for two games. Dyson failed the drug test and was suspended for 30 days, missing nine games.
As a senior at East Hartford High School in 2005-06, Wiggins averaged 32.0 points, 7.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.0 steals a game and was the Connecticut Gatorade High School Player of the year. East Hartford finished 19-3 and won the CCC North title. Wiggins was named to The Courant's all-state team.
Wiggins initially made an oral commitment to attend St. John's, but backed out and went to UConn instead.
"I completely respect Doug's decision," Calhoun said in a statement. "He has contributed to many successes for us in his time here. We will do everything we can to help him finish school in good standing this semester and move on to a place where he will be happy."
