Duquesne loses reserve guard Samabaly to transfer

Duquesne University men's basketball coach Danny Nee announced Monday that junior guard Aly Samabaly has decided to transfer to Maryland-Eastern Shore.

The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Samabaly started 15 of 23 games as a freshman for Duquesne, but appeared in only 11 in a reserve role last season, averaging 5.9 minutes per game. Overall, he averaged 1.8 points and shot just 28.6 percent (24 for 84).

He is a native of Mali and a graduate of St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio -- the same school that produced phenom LeBron James, the NBA's top overall pick in the 2003 draft.

Samabaly played sparingly last season for Duquesne after an influx of new players caused his minutes to decrease drastically. He is the second Dukes player to leave after last season, joining 6-10 forward Simplice Njoya, who transferred to Memphis in June.

Maryland-Eastern Shore, a member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, settled for a 5-23 record last season, including a 74-71 overtime loss at Duquesne on Dec. 31.