Freshman forward Joey St. Pierre announced on Saturday that he is leaving the UTEP basketball team for personal reasons.

“The last year has been challenging for me for a number of reasons,” he said. “I want to make it clear that my decision is not based in any way on being unhappy at UTEP. Coach Floyd has been extremely supportive during this process, and I appreciate his sympathy and understanding. I just feel like I need to be with my family in Illinois right now. I plan to explore all options for the future, including outside of college basketball.”

“Joey is a wonderful young man and we’ve enjoyed our time with him,” UTEP coach Tim Floyd said. “We wish him the best.”

A native of Spring Grove, Ill., the 6-10, 280-pound St. Pierre averaged 13.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks as a senior at Richmond-Burton High School.