Associated Press Andrew Zahn follows a shot in a game with Arizona State on March 22, 2002. The red-shirt freshman decided he will leave Arizona just days after returning from a 27-day trip in Austrailia.

Andrew Zahn leaves team after Australia trip

Itâs been a pretty interesting summer for the UA menâs basketball team so far.

The Wildcats got back from a 27-day, 10-game road trip in Australia this week with an 8-2 record and an open roster spot.

Only three days after hitting the game-winning shot for the Wildcats against the Sydney Kings to close out the trip, sophomore forward Andrew Zahn announced he was transferring after spending most of his time with the team at the end of the bench.

While the loss of Zahn, who averaged 5.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game during the trip, diminishes the Wildcatsâ depth on the front line, Zahn wasnât expected to play a significant role this season.

Coaches were unavailable for comment Wednesday.

In the game against a Sydney team that had already beaten the Wildcats earlier in the trip, the senior duo of guard Jason Gardner and forward Luke Walton carried the load en route to a 115-113 overtime victory. Gardner scored a team-high 34 points and Walton recorded a triple-double with 25 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

ăLuke and I kind of had to carry the scoring late in the game, but everyone stepped up late to help us get the win,ä Gardner said.

Sophomore forward Dennis Latimore chipped in 15 points and 12 rebounds, and Zahn concluded his Arizona career with eight points.

ăThis was not an easy win. Iâm proud of the way the guys played down the stretch, especially Dennis and Andrew. They were a big key for us tonight,ä assistant coach Josh Pastner said. ăThis was a great way to end the tour.ä

At the outset of the trip, head coach Lute Olson said he planned to use the 10 games as a proving ground for some of the younger players who didnât get much playing time last season.

It appeared he got his wish, as nine of the 10 players on the trip averaged more than 20 minutes per game. Also, every player on the team started at least one game.

Sophomore center Channing Frye led the team in both scoring and rebounding for the trip, averaging 19.2 and 11.9 in the respective categories.

In all, six Arizona players averaged double-digits in scoring.

As a result of the trip, Arizona will not participate in any exempted tournaments this season. Last year, the team traveled to New York to participate in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic and in previous years the team has played in the Maui Invitational and Preseason NIT.