Ex-Liberty center Evan Maxwell decides to leave KU basketball team

Kansas junior Evan Maxwell, a 6-foot-10 transfer , has decided to leave the program, coach Bill Self announced Saturday.

Maxwell, who is from Clarks Summit, Penn., signed with KU in May of 2016 following a two-year stint at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va.

According to NCAA transfer rules, Maxwell was able to practice but not play in games during the 2016-17 season.

“We were all excited when Evan committed and we all had high expectations for him,” Self said in a release. “This semester did not go the way Evan had anticipated. We support his decision to take some time away to figure out what he wants to do moving forward. He’s a tremendous young man and we wish him nothing but the best.”

Maxwell — he chose KU as a transfer destination over Virginia Tech, Baylor, Arizona and Cincinnati — did not say in the release if he would be transferring to play basketball at another Div. I school.

“I’d like to thank Coach Self, the other coaches and staff, and especially my teammates, for allowing me to be a part of such a great program,” Maxwell said in a release. “I just don’t think it was the right time for me and this will allow me to focus more on my future.”

Maxwell, who had been slated to return to Lawrence from break on Jan. 5 (as a red-shirt player he was allowed additional time home for the holidays), averaged 10.0 points and 4.8 rebounds a game his sophomore season at Liberty. He hit 63.6 percent of his shots in 2015-16. As a freshman in 2014-15, Maxwell averaged 6.0 minutes, 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 29 games.

Maxwell was recruited by Liberty and Monmouth his senior year of high school.

KU, which has signed forward Billy Preston and guard Marcus Garrett out of the recruiting Class of 2017, currently has 11 players on scholarship. Teams are allowed 13 scholarship players. The Jayhawks are in the running to land two mid-season transfers.

Sam Cunliffe, a 6-6 freshman shooting guard, announced plans to leave Arizona State on Dec. 13. He will make an official visit to KU for Tuesday’s KU-Kansas State game. He also is considering Georgetown and Seattle.

Isaac Copeland, a 6-9 junior forward, has left Georgetown and has a list of KU, Arizona, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Illinois, North Carolina State, Nebraska, and UConn.

He will likely have back surgery and will be applying for a medical hardship according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports. If the hardship is granted, he’d have two years of eligibility remaining.

This story was originally published December 31, 2016 at 4:16 PM with the headline "Ex-Liberty center Evan Maxwell decides to leave KU basketball team."