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Stepheson is leaving Tar Heels
Alex Stepheson
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Published: May 17, 2008
Updated: 05/16/2008 11:55 pm
Alex Stepheson has left North Carolina's basketball program to return home to California and attend to a pressing family health issue.
He will finish his college career at another school.
Stepheson, a 6-9 forward, will transfer to a school nearer his Los Angeles home. Stepheson missed two games in early January to return home because his father was ill.
Stepheson never revealed his father's illness after returning to North Carolina to complete his sophomore season. He finished his second-semester finals by May 6, according to school officials, then left Chapel Hill.
"My family is dealing with some health challenges at this time, and as a result I have made the decision to transfer to be closer to home," Stepheson said in a prepared statement released by the university.
"The two years I have spent as a Tar Heel have been great. My teammates, Coach (Roy) Williams and his staff and the whole Carolina family are the best."
Greg Hilliard, Stepheson's high-school coach at Harvard-Westlake High School in North Hollywood, said he didn't know until yesterday afternoon that Stepheson had decided to leave North Carolina. Hilliard said he doesn't know of any schools that Stepheson has under consideration for the final two seasons of his college career.
"I don't know whether he has a plan or if he's doing this spur of the moment and then is going to decide where he's going," Hilliard said. "For probably six months I've been getting calls from the UCLA people saying, ‘I've heard rumors that he's leaving.' They're all very interested. UCLA and Southern Cal can use him.
"I just have no idea. I just got a call from one of the UCLA assistants who just heard about it today too, so (Stepheson) obviously hasn't talked to them."
Hilliard declined to reveal Stepheson's father's illness because of privacy concerns for the family.
"It turned out his dad did all the things he was supposed to do," Hilliard said. "He's made a great recovery and looks as good as I've seen him look. When he and I talked before, I was under the impression that he had made up his mind and was going to stick it out (at North Carolina), so this is a surprise to me."
Stepheson was a top frontcourt reserve, helping the Tar Heels go 36-3 and reach the Final Four semifinals. He finished the season well, making 26 of his last 35 shots from the field for 74.3 percent.
Stepheson played in 75 games for the Tar Heels, all off the bench. He scored 237 points, grabbed 252 rebounds and blocked 45 shots. He had 33 of the blocked shots as a sophomore.
"I wish to thank the North Carolina fans for all their support and encouragement," Stepheson said. "I am grateful for the opportunity I had to be a Tar Heel, and I wish the program the best in the future."
Williams said in a prepared statement that Stepheson will be missed next season.
"I am extremely, extremely disappointed, but I feel so great about Alex that I understand his decision to transfer," Williams said. "He is doing this because of health concerns and by being closer to home he will be able to provide the necessary support and help his family needs at this time.
"He is a wonderful kid. I thoroughly enjoyed coaching him and know that he would have contributed so much more in the next two years. Nevertheless I have tremendous respect for Alex and know that he will always be part of our Carolina basketball family. I'll miss him but he will always be important to me."
■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.
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