Bye-Bye, Buie! Taran Buie Granted Release, will Transfer

Taran Buie (Photo: The Collegian)

We now turn to the least surprising news since Tat-Gate segment of our program. Suspended Penn State guard Taran Buie has been officially released from his scholarship and will apparently seek to transfer from the program. Again, this is about as surprising as a rainy Blue-White Game. (too soon?) So I don't have much insight into this particular situation, but here is a bunch of links to people who do.


Ben Jones, VBR:

While the reasoning behind this suspension was never explained outside of “Infraction of Team Rules” it seems reasonable that Buie’s two citations and questionable classroom performances had something to do with his disappearance from the program.

Sources close to the situation have confirmed that Buie will not be applying to Senia or Iowa State. Senia with strong AAU ties was a popular guess amongst hoops fans, while Iowa State was an obvious choice after 3 different Big Ten players transferred there over the past year and a half. Most notibly former Penn Stater Chris Babb.

Fugi, BSD:

DeChellis said in his season ending news conference he was looking to pick up another guard, likely with this scenario in mind, so the staff probably already has some replacements targeted. We'll see in the next month or so what they're able to land. Don't look for many, if any, JUCO players, however. Though Penn State has had success going that route in the past with guys like Stanley Pringle, a key player on the NIT title team, DeChellis said last month he doesn't see much out there this season.

Alex Angert, The Collegian:

“I met with Taran following the conclusion of the season and we agreed it was in his best interest and in the interest of our program for him to pursue the remainder of his career at another school,” DeChellis said in a statement released by the athletic department.

Dan Vecellio, OnwardState.com:

He only played in 11 games this season before being suspended indefinitely in December by Coach Ed DeChellis for a violation of team rules. During that time, he averaged 5.8 points per game, scoring in double-digits only twice while shooting 34.7% from the field. His best game came against Central Connecticut State when he scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds.

Sometimes it's just better to cut out the cancer. Buie obviously wasn't doing anything to prove he took Penn State seriously, or the team seriously. There comes a point at which good players on the court are counteracted by their behavior off the court. Buie was doing nothing but casting a shadow on the team, adding an unneeded distraction throughout the year.

As you read, now there are two scholarship slots available. Get two good players to fill those, and no one will remember the really good one that's leaving now. Not that we ever saw that one actually do anything on the court. But that was his fault.

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