April 27, 2009

LAS VEGAS - UNLV head men's basketball coach Lon Kruger announced Monday that freshman forward DeShawn Mitchell requested and was granted his release from the Runnin' Rebel program.

"I really enjoyed my year at UNLV and wish the coaches and players nothing but success in the future," Mitchell said. "It is important for me to look for a situation that will provide me with a more significant role and more playing time."

Mitchell, who played in 21 games this past season, played an average of 5.4 minutes per game. He averaged 1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds per contest, while shooting 50 percent from the field (14-for-28).

"We really appreciate DeShawn's effort this past year," Kruger said. "We hope he finds a place that is a good fit for him so he can play a bigger role in the future."

Mitchell is from Newark, N.J., and attended Monmouth Academy before coming to UNLV last fall.