Jamel Staten, a starter for the NIU basketball team for most of last year, has left NIU and enrolled at Minnesota State University, a Division II school.

NIU coach Rob Judson cited Staten’s need to get closer to home as a reason for the Minnesota native’s departure.

A 6-foot-6, 225-pound small forward, Staten would have been a junior this year. He combined size, with his muscular frame, and skill, as he was called one of the team’s best ball-handlers by the NIU coaching staff.

It is not the first time an NIU basketball player has gotten in over his head academically. But, according to NIU assistant coach Donald Whiteside, the case of Jamel Staten has been the only time he didn’t see the desire from a player to get back on the right track.

“Jamel and I developed a pretty close relationship,” Whiteside said. “We didn’t ask Jamel to leave; we just asked him to show us that he wanted to be here.”

Staten came to NIU two years ago as a freshman and showed much promise. He was the first freshman at NIU ever to play in all 28 games, and he started in 23 of them – the most since T.J. Lux during the 1995-’96 season.

As a sophomore, Staten’s points dropped about two points to 5.6 ppg.

Staten was unavailable for comment at press time.

“He’s with his wife to be closer to home and with his child,” Whiteside said. “He’ll be a little more content and comfortable. Everybody knows that Jamel could’ve played a lot better, but he just had a lot on his mind.”