Mr. Iowa basketball will no longer call Ames home.

Cyclone officials confirmed today that freshman forward Clayton Vette would be

leaving the team for personal reasons.

“Our coaches and team members valued having Clayton part of our basketball

family at Iowa State University, but we certainly respect his desire to leave

the program,” Cyclones’ coach Greg McDermott said in a press release. “He

leaves our team in good standing and we appreciate the contributions he made

to our club in a short time.”

Vette, the reigning Mr. Iowa basketball from Waverly-Shell Rock, had seen limited

playing time as a freshman this season, averaging 1.4 points and 1.6 rebounds

per game.

“Clayton and our family are deeply grateful for the opportunity that Coach

McDermott and Iowa State provided but he (Clayton) wishes to step away ISU-

both as a student and as a basketball player,” said Clayton’s dad Brett Vette

in the release. “Clayton’s decision has nothing to do with his basketball

career at ISU, but is more related to his overall personal requirements and

desires.”

Vette, who had a career high four points against Centenary on Nov. 10,

becomes the second Cyclone to leave the team this season. Freshman guard

Marcus Brister announced in November that he was also leaving the team for

personal reasons. Without Vette, Brister, and freshman guard Lucca Staiger,

McDermott’s roster now stands at 14 active players. Staiger, who is still on

the team, was ruled ineligible in October for his participation on a team in

Baulstein, Germany.

McDermott said during his weekly radio show Monday that the team had a

teleconference call with the NCAA on December 18 regarding Staiger’s

eligibility.