“This was a hard decision,” Price said in a press release. “Dayton is a great place and as much as I enjoyed being at UD, it was harder and harder to be away from my family. I want to thank the coaches for making me a better player and wish my teammates good luck.”
A lasting image of Price from the 2013-14 season — and there were many of them — is him running down the court, arms outstretched, a perfect example of the thrill of victory after Dayton beat Syracuse to reach the Sweet 16. Dayton fans will also remember him battling tendinitis in both knees all season. He spent plenty of time in the second half of games treating those knees with heating pad on the bench.
Despite the pain, Price started all 37 games, averaging 6.2 points and 1.8 assists. He played 22.4 minutes per game. He averaged 2.8 points and 1.4 assists in 18.3 minutes as a freshman.
“Today we want to wish Khari Price the best of luck on his decision to transfer and be closer to home and his family,” coach Archie Miller said in a press release and on Twitter. “This was a long and thoughtful process he took to reach this point and after numerous conversations with he and his family, ultimately it is the best decision for him to get closer to home.”
“I’m proud of Khari for how he represented us the last two years on and off the floor. He is a great kid and his contributions helped us grow. He will be successful wherever he chooses and we wish him the best of luck.”
Dayton now has three scholarships open for the 2014-15 season. It has added two new players since its run to the Elite Eight: junior college transfer Detwon Rogers, a 6-6 forward from the College of Southern Idaho; and Charles Cooke, a 6-6 guard who transferred from James Madison.
Rogers can play next season. Cooke has to sit out a season. They both have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Price’s departure opens an opportunity for point guard Scoochie Smith to start. Smith averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 assists in 17.3 minutes per game as a freshman.
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