DJ Haley departs basketball program
DJ Haley leaves the VCU men’s basketball team.
Staff Reports
VCU Athletics announced in a statement Wednesday afternoon that junior forward DJ Haley would be departing the men’s basketball program for personal reasons, effective immediately.
The statement said Haley has chosen to leave basketball in order to focus more of his attention on academics.
“We appreciate DJ’s contributions to our program over the past three years,” head coach Shaka Smart said. “Unfortunately, he has decided that his heart is no longer invested in basketball.”
This season, Haley averaged 1.9 points and eight minutes per game. His 57.1 field goal percentage is slightly behind classmate Juvonte Reddic’s 57.2 for the team lead. Haley appeared in 29 games this season, starting four, which dropped from 33 starts last season.
“Clearly it takes a significant commitment to compete as a student-athlete at this level and we understand that DJ’s priorities have changed,” Smart said. “We wish DJ nothing but the best for his future.”
Haley temporarily stepped away from the team for a week in early February and missed games against Fordham and Charlotte.
In his absence, senior David Hinton (4.6 minutes per game) Reddic (28.2), sophomore Jared Guest (10.2) and freshman Justin Tuoyo (6.7) will carry larger roles in the front court.