I guess the timing is a bit surprising-- Christmas.  But Brandan Kearney's abrupt departure from the Michigan State basketball program is typical of frustrated players who were stars in high school  Kearney is a sophomore and he thought he played his dues as a freshman.

     He is averaging 17 minutes per game but that's not how it was for him in high school.  So he told MSU coach Tom Izzo it's over and Izzo reluctantly signed off on the decision.  Where Kearney ends up is anyone's guess but he'll have to sit out next season and have two more years of eligibillity after that.

     Basketball is a game for five players at one time-- too few.  Guys on the bench don't like it and if they were a star at the previous level, as Kearney was, it's even more frustrating.  Players transfer all the time in college basketball.  It happens at MSU where Garrick Sherman left for Notre Dame.  Kearney likely will not be Izzo's final transfer in his career either.