SAUL LOEB/Arizona Daily Wildcat After spending much of the season battling for playing time on a deep bench, UA forward Dennis Latimore decided yesterday to part ways with the team.

Sophomore becomes second UA hoops player to depart top-ranked squad since start of Pac-10 play

Sophomore reserve forward Dennis Latimore left the UA basketball team yesterday before practice with his future plans undecided, said head coach Lute Olson.

Latimore, a 6-foot-8 native of Halstead, Kan., averaged 3.2 points and 3.1 rebounds in 23 games this season.

The move comes as a surprise with just four regular season games remaining, but Olson said Latimore made the decision himself.

"We certainly are disappointed that Dennis made this decision," Olson said. "He was well liked by the staff and his teammates. He came to this decision on his own. We wish him the best of luck."

Olson told his team and coaching staff that he is the only one allowed to comment on Latimore's departure.

Arizona did give Latimore his full release, which will allow him to transfer to a school of his choice, but the timing doesn't leave him with many options.

NCAA rules require a player to sit out a full season if he transfers to another school, meaning that Latimore can't play at all next season.

The season started with talk about UA's depth, but the team now has two fewer players than when it began. Latimore's situation differs from former UA guard Will Bynum, who transferred to Georgia Tech before the start of the spring semester. Bynum is able to play for the Yellow Jackets at the beginning of their second semester.

Latimore becomes the seventh player in the last four years to leave the team, not including those who left early to pursue NBA careers.

Latimore, who comes across as a shy individual, plays a tough brand of basketball on the court.

He played a key role off the bench during the team's non-conference games, but in the Wildcats' last six games, he has only averaged just over six minutes.

Some of that lack of playing time has come since sophomore Salim Stoudamire and senior Luke Walton returned to the lineup after both were out with ankle injures. Also, an increase in freshmen Hassan Adams' and Andre Iguodala's playing time has led to the decline in Latimore's.

Latimore's minutes also diminished due to the play of fellow sophomore Channing Frye, who was named this week's Pac-10 Player of the Week.

In Arizona's last two victories against Southern California and Arizona State, the Wildcats have won by an average of 23.5 points, but Latimore managed to play only a combined five minutes.

In his 57-game career, Latimore averaged 2.4 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 46.9 percent from the field. He made one career start this season against Washington State and averaged 11.4 minutes per game.