Mr. Ed 
        
		   
		   
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          Joined:  7/14/2007  
          From:  Minne-so-ta 
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          Junior center Colton Iverson joined a growing list of Gophers who  have transferred during coach Tubby Smith's tenure when he left the  program earlier this week.    Five players, including Iverson, have left the team since February  2010.    "I can confirm that I have been granted a release of scholarship,"  Iverson wrote in an e-mail Friday. "I just want to say that my  experience at the U has been great but my family and I [have] decided  that it is best for me to move on. Minnesota is a proud program and I  wish them the best of luck in the future."          Iverson's former AAU coach, Lance Friesen, said Friday that the  Yankton, S.D., native sought his release last week but the school didn't  permit Iverson to leave until Wednesday.    Team spokesman Matt Slieter said he could not "confirm or deny"  Iverson's decision. But another source close to the program confirmed  Friday that Iverson had left the team.          Friesen said coaching staff initially asked Iverson to reconsider.  Then, it imposed stipulations that forbid him from transferring to  another Big Ten school or to a program that the Gophers are scheduled to  face next season.    "It was a little bit of a process," Friesen said. "... They asked him  to think it over."    Friesen said Iverson is not sure where he will go but is looking  forward to a new situation. He didn't specify Iverson's reasons for  leaving. Iverson did not respond to the Star Tribune's interview  requests Friday night.    He can play for an NCAA Division II or III school next season, but if  he transfers to a Division I program, he won't be allowed to play until  2012-13.    "I knew that he was maybe thinking about it, but it didn't shock me,"  Friesen said. "I know he loves the school and his teammates."    Iverson showed promise -- albeit in spurts -- throughout his three  years with the Gophers. He made the All-Big Ten tournament team last  year, and in stretches he looked like the best center on the roster.    But he was inconsistent, too. This season, he averaged 5.4 points and  5.0 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game.          Redshirt freshman Elliott Eliason and first-year center Maurice  Walker, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in December, are  expected to contribute next season. Ralph Sampson III and Trevor Mbakwe  might consider their pro options, but both could return for their senior  seasons, so there was no guarantee that Iverson would log major minutes  had he decided to stay.    Friesen said Iverson will look for the right fit, one that will help  the 6-11 center develop into a player who can compete professionally. "I  think being able to play after college is probably going to be a pretty  high priority for him," he said.           Whatever Iverson's reasons for leaving, his former coach will attract  more scrutiny. Since February 2010, Royce White, Paul Carter, Justin  Cobbs, Devoe Joseph and now Iverson have left Smith's program. A team  that went 6-12 in Big Ten play this season and didn't play in a  postseason tournament could have used the extra talent.    As Smith negotiates an extension, the program looks as if it could be  headed for another offseason of instability.    "I can't say that there's anything else [to Iverson's decision],"  Friesen said. "I know he liked living there. He's never really said  anything negative to me about Tubby. I think he has a lot of respect for  him."     													 
          
		  
          					
			
		  
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  Escape while you can! 
         
         
         
         
          	
         
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