Montana State senior forward Sarp Gobeloglu has left the Montana State men’s basketball team, MSU head coach Brian Fish confirmed during his weekly press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Gobeloglu, a 6-foot-11 senior from Ankara, Turkey, played in 11 games in the non-conference before serving a four-game suspension for a violation of team rules. He returned to the lineup for the first time in MSU’s 83-80 overtime loss at Idaho, playing nine minutes and missing his only field goal attempt.
Fish said Gobeloglu’s decision to leave the team was his own.
“He texted me yesterday and decided he quit basketball,” Fish said on Tuesday. “So Sarp is no longer on the team and we wish him the best.”
MSU forward Sarp Gobeloglu (13)/ by Brooks Nuanez
The former Gillette (Wyoming) Junior College transfer was a key contributor for the Bobcats last season. He scored 8.4 points and grabbed 3.5 rebounds in 20 minutes per game off the bench. He shot 45 percent from the floor and 39.1 percent from the arc, giving Fish a unique weapon off the bench.
Gobeloglu’s senior season got off to a good start. He hit three 3-pointers and scored a season-high 14 points in a season-opening loss to Washington State. He hit multiple 3s in wins over Rocky Mountain College and James Madison. His minutes then took a nose dive as he played just six against Arizona Christian and just four against Utah as his defensive struggles plagued him and the Bobcats.
Gobeloglu scored six points in 17 minutes in a loss to Milwaukee and did not score against South Dakota or Omaha before finals week. Gobeloglu did not attend a final exam the week before Christmas, sparking the suspension.
He finishes his senior season having played in 12 games and averaging 4.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per contest this winter.
“It’s been going on since this summer but each of us have choices,” Fish said. “I just worry about the guys in the locker room.”
Photos by Brooks Nuanez. All Rights Reserved.
