Penn State men's basketball head coach Ed DeChellis announced in a press release yesterday that sophomore forward Milos Bogetic and red-shirt freshman guard Maxwell Dubois were granted a release from their Penn State athletic scholarships.

Bogetic and Dubois became the eighth and ninth Nittany Lions to leave the program early under DeChellis.

"After meeting with Milos and Max individually," DeChellis said in the statement, "we agreed that it would be best for both players and the Penn State program if they continued their careers at other institutions."

A fan-favorite, the 6-foot-11 Bogetic saw action in 60 games during his Lion career, including nine starts.

The 21-year-old native of Montenegro averaged 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds in 17 minutes per game this past season.

Bogetic hinted in the press release that he might consider transferring after this school year.

"I didn't feel I was contributing as much as I had hoped to be able to at this level," Bogetic said. "I think I may be better suited to play where I can help the team more."

Dubois, meanwhile, was hampered by injuries throughout his Penn State career.

A stress fracture halted his 2005-06 season in early December and a sprained knee sidelined him for the final two months of the 2006-07 season.

Dubois said he intends to seek other options and is also considering transferring.

"After talking with coach," Dubois said, "we both agreed it would be best if I could go somewhere I can earn more playing time immediately and fits my abilities better at this stage of my career."

With two scholarships now open, DeChellis has the opportunity to sign two more recruits for the class of 2007.

The regular National Letter of Intent signing period begins April 11 and teams are free to sign players until May 13.

Neither Bogetic nor Dubois expressed malcontent and said their time at Penn State was great, adding that they are just searching for a better fit both athletically and academically.

DeChellis said he meets individually with every player at the conclusion of each season to discuss their role and commitment to the team. And though he agreed that Bogetic and Dubois would be better suited elsewhere, he said Penn State will do everything it can to help them find the right fit.

"We wish them both the best as they continue their academic and athletic careers," DeChellis said. "And [we] will do anything we can to help them find the best situation for them personally to do so."