FAYETTEVILLE -- When Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson met with the media last week after the Razorbacks ended their season at 27-9, he said he believed freshman guard Nick Babb is "going to have a bright future here."
Now, Babb's future is going to play out elsewhere.
Babb, who averaged 4.8 minutes in 26 games off the bench this season, is transferring at the end of the spring semester, Anderson announced Thursday.
"We wish Nick the best of luck and respect his decision to go somewhere to earn more playing time," Anderson said in a statement on the basketball team's Twitter account. "Nick's a good kid and has done everything right during his year with our program."
Babb, who averaged 0.7 points and 0.8 rebounds, tweeted that he wanted to thank everyone at Arkansas, including his teammates and coaches and the fans, for making this year a worthwhile experience.
"He probably didn't play as much as he wanted to," Anderson said last week. "All of them feel that way, but we've seen the potential in him."
Babb's highlight as a Razorback came in Arkansas' 60-49 victory over Georgia in the SEC Tournament semifinals when he had 5 points and 3 assists in 12 minutes off the bench. He scored all of his points in a 1:04 span of the first half, when he hit two free throws and a three-point basket to help the Razorbacks move ahead 23-14 after they had been struggling on offense. He hadn't scored in the previous 19 games.
"I thought he really gave us an injection of energy," Anderson said after the game. "We needed somebody that could come out and really spark our team, and he was that spark."
Babb, who signed with Arkansas after playing at Arlington (Texas) Martin High School, also scored five points in the Razorbacks' victory 83-53 victory over Wake Forrest in the second game of the season.
Babb's transfer means the Razorbacks have at least one scholarship available. They are losing seniors Alandise Harris and Ky Madden, but those scholarship slots will be filled by guard Jimmy Whitt, a November signee, and forward Ted Kapita, who has committed to sign this spring.
Anderson is awaiting word on whether sophomore forward Bobby Portis and junior guard Michael Qualls will return to Arkansas or declare the NBA Draft. The NCAA deadline for withdrawing from the draft is April 12.
"You've just got to continue recruiting," Anderson said last week. "We never stop."
Sports on 04/03/2015