A part-time starter. A young guard fighting for playing time.
A 6-foot, 171-pound sophomore from Gary, Ind.
Brandon Cameron has been defined in basketball terms as a hard worker, a speedy and athletic specimen and a commanding defender. But this same player had become an emotional enigma in his one-plus seasons at Penn State, plagued by fluctuating confidence levels and disintegration in clutch situations.
With Cameron requesting a release from his scholarship in order to pursue a transfer, it's ironic that his Nittany Lion career ended in similar fashion that this mysterious nature will now follow Cameron to greener -- or at least different -- pastures.
It could have been the influx of freshmen guards Marlon Smith and Ben Luber, or the swift gear change from Jerry Dunn to Ed DeChellis that resulted in the final straw, the motivation that caused Cameron to enter his coach's office on Tuesday.
"He came in and said he hadn't been comfortable," DeChellis said. "It's a distraction...you lose one of your family members, it's not an easy thing."
DeChellis, a bit surprised by Cameron's timing, showed concern in the player's academics and financial situation, for he will need to find a scholarship elsewhere.
Cameron now becomes Penn State's second transfer tragedy of the calendar year, after Sharif Chambliss moved to Wisconsin following DeChellis' April hiring. B-Cam, as he was affectionately nicknamed, could not be reached for comment but prepared a statement for press release published yesterday.
"I would like to thank the coaching staff for the knowledge, help and opportunities they've given me this year," Cameron said. "I will definitely miss my teammates and appreciate their support. I wish them the best of luck this season."
These teammates, particularly DeForrest Riley-Smith and Aaron Johnson, have become close personal friends with Cameron and will miss him.
"That's one of my best friends up here, it's like losing a family member," Johnson said.
According to Johnson, Cameron's sorrow had begun long before the start of the 2003-2004 season.
"He talked to me [before deciding to transfer], but that's something I want to keep between me and him," Johnson said.
Cameron participated in practice Monday, taking perimeter shots in a pre-practice routine. It was mid-afternoon. The entire team was present. Game day was approaching.
Looking back, it seems unimaginable that mere days would see his status on the team change so drastically, that Cameron would go from watching film on Rutgers to being a side note to his former teammates' 60-47 loss in such a short time.
