Madison, Wis. -- Wisconsin basketball standout Sam Okey said Tuesday he is leaving the team immediately, closing out a disappointing season in which he was suspended for two games and suffered chronic back pains.
The decision came after Okey had been bumped from the starting lineup in a tiff with coach Dick Bennett a day earlier.
In a statement, Okey, a former All-state player out of Cassville, said he had lost his enthusiasm to play at Wisconsin.
�Three years ago I couldn�t wait to announce my desire to be a Badger,� Okey said in the statement read by his mother, Amy Okey, in a telephone interview. �My love for this state, its fans, and most of all, my teammates, has never wavered. But in basketball you have to be excited to play and motivated to practice and work hard.
�And although I�ve tried to work through it, it is no longer possible to nurture my love for the game in this negative environment.�
Okey�s telephone number on campus is unlisted and he could not be reached for comment. Amy Okey said her son did not plan to comment further.
She said her son plans to remain at Wisconsin as a student for the spring semester, then possibly transfer to another school.
Bennett, who announced the departure, said he supported Okey�s decision.
�As difficult as it is right now, Sam has given all he can give to this program,� Bennett said. �If indeed he wishes to keep playing, I want him to continue to have that opportunity.�
Bennett said he confronted Okey Monday about missing a weight-lifting session. Okey said he did not know about the session, the coach said.
Bennett said he then told Okey he was no longer a starter, taking away his white starter�s practice jersey and replacing it with a reserve red one. The coach said he told Okey he would have to earn his way back into the starting rotation.
Okey and his coach were scheduled to meet Tuesday morning, but when Okey arrived he told Bennett he was leaving the team.
The 6-foot, 7-inch junior has played in just nine of 15 games this season because of back spasms and the two-game suspension that began the season. The Capital Times in Madison had reported the suspension was for smoking marijuana, but the university said only that Okey was suspended for disciplinary reasons.
The forward was the highest-scoring returning player at the beginning of the season.
Despite the rocky season, Okey averaged 9.8 points a game, putting him second on the team behind guard Sean Mason. In a 76-63 loss to Michigan on New Year�s Eve, Okey surpassed 800 points for his career.
Okey was leading the team with 4.9 rebounds a game and was eight rebounds away from reaching 500 for his career.
Senior forward Booker Coleman said team members had accepted Okey�s decision and were prepared to move on without him.
�It�s going to affect us. You can�t lose someone who�s that big a part of the team and not be affected,� Coleman said. �Sam feels he made the best decision. As a former teammate I respect that.�
Freshman forward Andy Kowske said he was �pretty shocked� when Okey told teammates he was leaving.
�In a sense, it is like a divorce. He has to do what�s best for himself and best for the program,� Kowske said.
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