Ioannis Papapetrou is leaving the Texas Longhorns basketball program to play professionally for Olympiacos, one of the top Euroleague teams out of Greece. Papapetrou's decision to leave is now official, according to ESPN's Jeff Goodman.
Ioannis Papapetrou leaves Texas for hometown Greek team
Papapetrou was expected to take a big leap forward with the Longhorns after a promising freshman campaign. He’s the fourth underclassman to leave UT in the past six months.
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Papapetrou, who is from Athens, Greece, was one of the top players for the Longhorns as a freshman last season, averaging 8.3 points and 4.4 rebounds a night. The 6’8 forward led the Greek U-20 team in scoring this past summer and reportedly caught the attention of Olympiacos while averaging 16 points per game. SB Nation’s Burnt Orange Nation has a bit more on his departure.
Papapetrou's the fourth UT underclassman to leave the program in the past six months; Myck Kabongo declared for the NBA Draft after last season, and Sheldon McClellan and Julien Lewis both elected to transfer.
Head coach Rick Barnes was likely in for a down year regardless, though Papapetrou's departure leaves the cupboard awfully bare in Austin. After failing to reach the NCAA Tournament last spring, Barnes' job could be in jeopardy if the Longhorns don't turn things around in a hurry.
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