University of Maine redshirt junior guard Isaiah White announced Thursday he intends to finish his undergraduate degree this spring and transfer to a different school to for his final men’s basketball season.

In a Twitter post, White wrote, “I’d like to announce that I will be graduating this Spring and moving on to another institution to play out my last year of eligibility in pursuit of my Master’s degree.”

White, a 6-foot-5 guard from Ellicott City, Maryland, is the third Maine player who is leaving the program with eligibility remaining. Two other redshirt juniors – forward/center Vincent Eze and guard Dennis Ashley – were honored by the team on Senior Night because they plan to graduate this semester.

White played two seasons at Maine after originally attending North Carolina Asheville and then Harford Community College in Maryland. In both seasons at Maine, he was the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 11.1 points in 2017-18 and 13.5 points with a team-best 43 steals this past season as the Black Bears went 5-27.

“We support Isaiah’s decision and thank him for the hard work he has put in here at Maine,” said Coach Richard Barron. “We wish him well in his graduate level academic pursuits and know he will be an asset to any college team.”

In his announcement, White thanked former men’s coach Bob Walsh and Barron.

“I’ve grown as an individual, an intellect, and an athlete here at the University of Maine.”

Eze, a 6-8 player from Nigeria, started 19 of his 32 games this season after missing the entire the 2017-18 season because of a hip injury. He averaged 6.8 points and was second on the team in rebounding at 4.2 per game.

Ashley, a 6-1 guard from Los Angeles and Bridgton Academy, averaged 4.1 points in 24 games this season. His playing time increased late in the season, and he scored in double figures in four of his last seven games, including a career-high 16 points against Hartford on Feb. 13.

Steve Craig can be reached at 791-6413 or:

scraig@pressherald.com

Twitter: SteveCCraig