It's kind of like that relationship, the one that ended so peacefully that you initially didn't understand why it came to an end. Then you realized a little later that both parties were better off going their separate ways.

Well, that's the kind of love affair between Penn State men's basketball coach Ed DeChellis and Penn State forward Aaron Johnson. Only, it will take more than a year from now to realize that both parties involved made the right decision that dreary Thursday afternoon.

There had hardly been a visible fight or disagreement in the two-year relationship. DeChellis and the program accept that Johnson thinks he deserves a better partner. In return, DeChellis wants to discover what the program can be without Johnson. And the best part of this whole ordeal is that Johnson understands. He didn't argue. He didn't plead. The fact that he didn't fight back makes the situation even harder to understand because we are so used to controversy in breakups.

"I think they're gonna be a better team without me," Johnson said. "The freshmen and the guys left will do a good job and I wish them the best of luck."

DeChellis and Johnson knew they had no future together. They've tried to be exclusive and depend heavily on each other, but Johnson wasn't strong enough to carry the Nittany Lions on his back. They knew they couldn't have an open relationship because Johnson preferred being the go-to guy, and grew frustrated at times when he was forced to kick the ball back out to the younger guards. But the beauty of this breakup is that DeChellis and Johnson were on the same page, unlike some other basketball coach and her players at this university.

"We concluded that it would be best if I left here" Johnson said. "When I got up and walked away, we both agreed on the very detailed conversation."

It's been a fun ride, one that both parties were able to enjoy. Johnson is a better person for having experienced Penn State and vice versa. Former Penn State coach Jerry Dunn gave him a chance to walk onto a Division I team when no one else would. DeChellis granted him a scholarship and helped him develop into an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection this season. Penn State did its part, now it's up to Johnson to put the finishing touches on his collegiate basketball career.

HoJo was unquestionably the fan-favorite at the Bryce Jordan Center and gave the Lions' supporters a reason to cheer. He always got the crowd involved, interacted with the students and spoke highly of the small, but dedicated fan base. And although the thought of transferring was on his mind for more than a year, he gave his best effort every night.

There were games when he committed too many turnovers and when he missed routine layups he shouldn't have missed, but maybe he was trying too hard to make things work. He was forced to fill the team's void at center, even though he doesn't have the quickness or the agility for the position. Johnson was the only true starting forward, as freshman Geary Claxton is a three-man and junior Travis Parker often floated beyond the arc.

The part that may have hurt Johnson the most was that the basketball program made plans for the future and he wasn't a prominent figure in the big picture. But you can't blame DeChellis for wanting to hurry along this rebuilding process. The program has already spent two years dilly-dallying around and trying to mend the Dunn era with the DeChellis era.