It's official: Joseph headed to Vermont

EAST LANSING - Maurice Joseph said he'll always consider himself a Spartan, but that the lack of projected playing time in the future is the reason he's leaving the Michigan State men's basketball team.

Joseph, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound shooting guard from Montreal, made it official on Tuesday that he is transferring to the University of Vermont, about 90 minutes from his home.

There had been speculation that Joseph, who would have a junior this fall, would transfer ever since the end of the season in March.

"I wanted a more focal point on the team, a bigger role than I would have had at Michigan State,'' Joseph said. "This isn't a bitter departure by any means.

"I still talk to the guys on a regular basis. I even talked to a couple of players (Tuesday) morning. I still feel part of the family. This is just a decision I needed to make for my basketball career.''

Maurice averaged 5.9 points and 16.8 minutes a game last season as a sophomore. But with three highly-regarded perimeter players joining the program as freshmen, MoJo's playing time was expected to decrease.

"I know it's been a tough situation for him but I'm happy for him,'' Spartan coach Tom Izzo said. "He could have come back here but he wanted to be closer to home and be in a situation where he would be more of a prominent player.

"But he was great for us. As a student and as a kid, he was awesome. He gave (transferring) some thought and did it the right way. He consulted with his parents and high school coach and narrowed it down to two or three schools.''

Vermont, a Division I program with an enrollment of 8,800 and located in Burlington, plays in the America East Conference. The Catamounts, 15-1 in league play and 25-8 overall last year, played at MSU in November and lost 66-46.

"It's a good situation for everyone,'' Izzo said. "There's no baggage and I can envision three years from now helping him if he wants to play in Europe.

"I'm sure he'll follow us and we'll follow him.''

Joseph said he considered Rhode Island before settling on Vermont. He'll sit out the 2007-2008 season as a transfer - he can practice but not play - and have two years of eligibility remaining starting in the fall of 2008.

"Coach (Mike Lonergan) said when I'm ready to play, there will be a lot expected from me from a leadership role,'' he said. "I was impressed with how passionate the fans are about the team. They've been to the NCAA Tournament and are always one of the best teams in the conference.''

Joseph said he'll take away lot from his two years at MSU.

"It's not only the skills I've learned but the mindset of the work ethic that's needed to be successful,'' he said. "The impact coach Izzo has on his players, I'll take that with me the rest of my life.''

Izzo said he would not use Joseph's scholarship for next season.

"We have two commitments (for the 2008-2009 season) and we need a big guy, so we'll go after a big guy hard,'' he said.