Vette Leaves Iowa State Basketball Team

AMES, Iowa ? Iowa State freshman men's basketball player Clayton Vette is leaving the Cyclone program for personal reasons. ISU head coach Greg McDermott and Vette's father, Brett, made the announcement Thursday.

“Our coaches and team members valued having Clayton as part of our basketball family at Iowa State University, but we certainly respect his desire to leave the program,” McDermott said. “He leaves our team in good standing and we appreciate the contributions he made to our club in a short time.”

Vette saw action in five games as a true freshman and averaged 1.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high four points against Centenary. Vette was named Iowa's Mr. Basketball last season after leading his Waverly-Shell Rock squad to the 2007 Class 3A state title.

“Clayton and our family are deeply grateful for the opportunity that Coach McDermott and Iowa State University provided, but he (Clayton) wishes to step away from ISU ? both as a student and a basketball player,” said Brett Vette. “Clayton's decision has nothing to do with his basketball career at ISU, but is more related to his overall personal requirements and desires.”

McDermott said that he does not anticipate Vette returning to the Cyclone men's basketball program in the future.