BY MIKE DeCOURCY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The worst-kept secret in Cincinnati Bearcats basketball was let out by the school's official response to an NCAA letter of inquiry: guard John Carson is transferring.
As part of its response, UC was required to furnish a roster of players for the 1998-99 season. Carson was not included. UC coach Bob Huggins said Carson was leaving to gain the opportunity to play more.
Carson averaged only 6.9 minutes in 17 games as a sophomore. Carson, a 6-foot-1 guard from Springfield, is likely to attend Barton County Community College in Kansas, one of the nation's top junior college programs. Barton County features the year's top JC recruit, 7-3 Alek Radojevic.
An all-state guard at Springfield South High, Carson nearly left the UC program in January. He missed a practice and discussed quitting the Bearcats at that point, but he was encouraged to stay with the promise the UC coaches would help to place him at an appropriate school at the close of the year.
When he arrived at UC in 1996-97, Carson was not eligible to play as a freshman. Because he is attending a junior college, he will be able to play one season there and then transfer back to a Division I school for two more seasons.
Carson began practicing with UC last October, and it soon became apparent he lacked the lateral quickness to earn significant playing time in the backcourt.
He was one of the team's best outside shooters, ranking fifth in three-point goals despite his sporadic playing time. Carson was 11-of-31 from three-point range. He scored 12 points in wins over Morehead State and DePaul and was a key to the Bearcats' road victory at Tulane, nailing two three-pointers.
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