King no longer transferring to USC

Earlier this month, former Villanova and Duke forward Taylor King announced his intent to transfer to USC. According to several confirmed Internet reports and a statement by a USC basketball spokesperson however, King will not be playing for the Trojans this year.

When he was 15, King announced he would play basketball for UCLA but ended up signing with Duke, and then left the Blue Devils for Villanova. The 22-year-old King left Villanova reportedly because of a violation of team rules. The question now remains as to what his basketball career will look like now that he has decided against transferring to USC to play ball. It is unclear whether he will attend another Division 1 school, look toward another division or continue playing basketball.

Although USC could not offer him a basketball scholarship immediately, he could have received one the following season when he would have been eligible to play, in accordance with NCAA transfer rules. King would have been considered a walk-on to the team had he transferred.

The 220-pound, 6-foot-6-inch forward averaged 7.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game last season, as well as bagging 36.4 percent of the shots he made from behind the arc.

King is originally from Orange County and attended Mater Dei High School, a school known for its acclaimed basketball and football programs. His decision not to return to Southern California and play for USC brings up a lot of questions, but only time will tell what the basketball player’s next steps will be.