Bizoukas asks for, gets his release

Michael Bizoukas will not be a Blue Demon next season.

The junior guard from Munster, Ind., asked for and was granted his release, the school confirmed on Thursday, April 21. He is looking to transfer to a different program and according to WeAreDePaul.com has interest from teams in the Horizon League and Conference USA.

The 6'1" guard saw his playing time dip to 16.0 minutes per game this season after being a staple in former Head Coach Jerry Wainwright's system the previous two years. He appeared in 28 games with no starts in the team's first season under Oliver Purnell, and averaged just 1.3 points per game on 31 percent shooting.

His role for next season was likely to decrease even further with the emergence of freshman point guard Brandon Young, and the influx of young players coming in. As of now, the team is expected to have six freshmen next season, including well-regarded guards Shane Larkin, Charles McKinney and Macari Brooks.

As a sophomore last year, Bizoukas started seven of the 23 games he appeared in and averaged 19.6 minutes of playing time a game. That season he shot 48.6 percent from the field, good for 3.7 points per game.

Bizoukas will be eligible to play next year under an NCAA guideline that allows student-athletes going to graduate school to transfer without having to sit out for a year.