April 10, 2002

LAS VEGAS - UNLV men's basketball player Lafonte Johnson has requested and been granted his official release from the school, Runnin' Rebel head coach Charlie Spoonhour announced Wednesday.

Johnson, a 5-foot-10, 160-pound guard from Baltimore, Md., averaged 8.3 minutes playing time in 29 appearances as a sophomore in 2001-02. He averaged 1.5 points per game and was seventh on the team with 24 assists. His best game this season came at UAB where he hit four of eight three-pointers for 12 points.

Johnson, who graduated from Crispus Attucks Charter School in York, Pa., also appeared in 29 games as a freshman, including starting the first 11. He averaged 4.4 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, finishing second on the squad with 64 assists and sixth in steals with 15. He set a career-high with 17 points vs. BYU on Feb. 10, 2001.

It is not known where Johnson, who still has a redshirt season available to him, intends to transfer.

"We thank Lafonte for all of his contributions this year," Spoonhour said. "He is a fine young man and we wish him well in the future."