Missouri point guard Blake Harris received a release and will transfer from Missouri, the team confirmed Friday.
Harris’ move marks the team’s second freshman point guard departure in as many months, as CJ Roberts, an Irving, Texas, product, announced his transfer to Texas Tech earlier this week after departing the team in early December.
Harris started nine games for Missouri and averaged 3.8 points and 2.4 rebounds. He led the team with 44 assists through 14 games.
"Blake Harris has decided to transfer from the Mizzou Men’s Basketball program,” coach Cuonzo Martin said in a statement Friday. “We will support and assist him in any way possible."
The freshman also tweeted a photo Friday morning with the caption, "thanks for all the memories."
The Chapel Hill, North Carolina, product — a four-star recruit and ranked the No. 12 point guard in his class by ESPN — originally signed with Washington but opted out, along with Michael Porter Jr., after coach Lorenzo Romar’s firing. Harris visited Missouri with Porter and five-star recruit Kevin Knox in April and announced his commitment days later.
Harris also transferred twice in high school — originally playing for Carlisle School (Virginia) then Montverde Academy (Florida) and finally Word of God Christian Academy (North Carolina), where he earned AP first-team all-state honors.
Martin’s fourth-ranked recruiting class in the nation, according to 247Sports.com, is now down to just three players — Porter Jr., Jontay Porter and Jeremiah Tilmon.
The point guard duties for the Tigers (11-3, 1-0 SEC) now seemingly will fall to juniors Jordan Geist — who started in place of Harris on Wednesday at South Carolina after it was reported that the freshman had missed a couple of practices because of an illness — and Terrence Phillips. Senior shooting guard Kassius Robertson, who played some point early in the season, possibly could return to bouncing between the two positions, too.
Geist, in particular, has come through with some strong performances this season. But both he and Phillips have struggled against pressure, especially in losses to West Virginia and Illinois and a tight win over Stephen F. Austin.