Forward Johnson to leave Lions:
“Penn State forward Aaron Johnson announced yesterday that he will be leaving the men’s basketball team and will transfer to play at another school.
“After an hour-and-a-half meeting with Penn State coach Ed DeChellis Thursday, the two decided it was best for the program and Johnson to go their separate ways.
“‘It was a mutual decision,’ Johnson said. ‘I think it was a combination of a lot of things. I think they will be a better team without me.’
“The 6-foot-9, 240-pound junior was recently named honorable mention all-Big Ten this season. Johnson led the Big Ten in rebounding with 9.9 boards per game and averaged 11.8 points a contest. He has one year of eligibility remaining, in addition to a redshirt year, after being invited to walk on to the Nittany Lion team as a freshman and starting 35 games in his 73-game career.
“‘At the end of this past season, I spoke with Aaron to discuss his future with the program,’ DeChellis said yesterday in a press release. ‘Following our discussion, both Aaron and I came to a mutual understanding that it would be better if Aaron continued his basketball career at a different institution.’
“Johnson’s exit marks the seventh player to transfer since DeChellis took over for Jerry Dunn in April 2003. Penn State now returns just seven players for the 2005-2006 season, and there is uncertainty as to whether or not sophomore guard Marlon Smith will be able to play after suffering from a transient blood clot. …”