Conner Frankamp to Leave Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Shooting guard Conner Frankamp will not begin his sophomore season with the Kansas men’s basketball team. Friday morning, head coach Bill Self announced Frankamp’s decision to leave the University of Kansas.
 
“I met with Conner and his father (Martin Frankamp) Wednesday to discuss his situation and opportunity this season at Kansas,” Self said. “On Thursday he informed me he was going to transfer at the end of this fall semester. From this point forward he is no longer part of this team and will not participate this semester so he can transfer after Christmas and have two-and-a-half years remaining when he becomes eligible after sitting out one full academic year.”
 
The all-time scoring leader in the Wichita City League from Wichita North High School, Frankamp came in and played in 27 games as a freshman in 2013-14. He was a key factor in the Jayhawks’ 2014 NCAA Tournament as he averaged 11.0 points per game and went 7-for-14 from three-point range. By the end of his rookie season, Frankamp was averaging 8.3 minutes a game and shooting over 31 percent from behind the arc.
 
“I’ve been thinking about this for a while now,” Frankamp said. “I love KU and I love the Jayhawks. I feel like I’ve improved quite a bit since I’ve been here. I love my teammates but I just don’t feel like it’s the right fit for me. We have many good guards and so many big-time players. I want to be at a place where I could play a bigger role.”
 
Frankamp progressed through the year, recording his best game of his career in the last game of the 2013-14 season when he scored a career-high 12 points on 4-of-7 threes vs. Stanford (3/23). In KU’s first game of the NCAA Tournament, he tallied 10 points against Eastern Kentucky (3/21). In conference play, Frankamp’s best outing was a 2-for-3 effort from three-point range at Kansas State (2/10).
 
“This was disappointing news to us. Conner is a fine young man, a very good basketball player and certainly part of what we had envisioned not only our future but also as an impact guy for this upcoming season,” Self said. “We still have six other very good perimeter players. We’re looking forward to all six of those guys contributing in a big way and meaningful minutes throughout the course of the year. Conner will finish this semester academically and will continue to get academic support from us. We wish him the best in his decision making of his new school and in his future basketball endeavors.”
 
“Coach Self has been a great coach to me, I’ve learned so much under him,” Frankamp said. “He’s not only a great coach but has been a great mentor for me. I can talk to him about almost anything.
 
“The Kansas fans are amazing, probably the best in the country,” Frankamp added. “I want to wish my teammates good luck. They are like family to me and I want to see them succeed. I’ll still be rooting for them to win and everything.”
 
No. 5 Kansas, picked to win its 11th-straight Big 12 Conference regular season title, will unofficially open the season when the Jayhawks welcome Washburn to Allen Fieldhouse for an exhibition contest on Monday, Nov. 3. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
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