Iowa backup point guard Branden Stubbs won’t play for Fran McCaffery and the Hawkeyes next season. The walk-on from Pleasant Hill, Iowa, will leave the program in hopes of more playing time elsewhere.

Stubbs appeared in 12 games this season and averaged 1.2 points. He totaled 6 assists and 6 turnovers to go along with 4 steals. He didn’t respond to an interview request on Monday.

"He wants to play more, and we respect that," Iowa head coach Fran McCaffery said in a statement. "Everyone — from the players, coaches, and staff — loves Stubby, and we will do whatever we can to help him during this process."

Stubbs was an accomplished prep player at Des Moines Christian High; he was a three-time all-state honoree and dished out the second-most assists in Iowa high-school history (717).

While the sophomore’s in-game role at Iowa was minimal, McCaffery praised his ability to quickly learn opponents’ offenses and valued his part on the scout team.

Stubbs’ departure and the graduation of seniors Matt Gatens and Bryce Cartwright means Iowa will return five guards — Devyn Marble, Josh Oglesby, Eric May, Stephen McCarty, and Kyle Denning — next year. Of those, only Marble, May, and Oglesby saw significant playing time.

— by Ben Schuff