Angel Garcia leaves Memphis for Europe

All of a sudden, Memphis looks like they may be in some trouble this season.

First, it was Wesley Witherspoon. On Friday, it was announced that Witherspoon would be missing five weeks as he needed surgery on a meniscus tear in his right knee. Witherspoon was expected to be the team's veteran leader, a la Patrick Patterson at Kentucky last season, but he's struggled through the first eight games of the season, averaging just 13.0 ppg and 4.6 rpg.

Then on Sunday, news broke that Angel Garcia, the Tiger's junior center, will be leaving the team at the end of the fall semester to head to Europe to play professionally.


Garcia was one of the bigger disappointments in the country this season. Many in Memphis believed that he could be a difference maker for this team. A sharp shooting big man, it was thought that he would be able to spread the floor for guys like Will Barton and Joe Jackson to attack the paint off the dribble.

But Garcia never accepted his role on the team. He never bought into what Josh Pastner wanted him to do, and as a result his minutes slipped.

Garcia becomes the second Memphis player to leave the team this season, as Jelan Kendrick was previously kicked off by Josh Pastner. Hippolyte Tsafack will have his redshirt removed as he will be needed to bolster the front court.

This will be a dangerous time for Memphis. They will not get Witherspoon back until after they play Tennessee and Georgetown. If they end up losing both of those games, is there enough meat left on their schedule to get them an at-large bid?