Sophomore forward Ryan Pettinella of the Penn men's basketball team said yesterday that he will be transferring from Penn to another school.
Pettinella did not give any details regarding his possible whereabouts next season and declined to comment about the reasons behind his decision.
Quakers coach Fran Dunphy was unavailable for comment last night.
The Pittsford, N.Y., native played in all 29 games for the Quakers last season but did not start a game. He averaged 4.8 points per game off the bench in 12.4 minutes per game.
Pettinella, a 6-foot-9 forward, shot 50 percent from the fieldlast season, and an even more impressive 61 percent in 19 games the year before.
However, last year, he only knocked down 34 of his 80 free-throw attempts -- good for 43 percent. Pettinella leaves Penn as a 47 percent foul shooter for his career.
Losing Pettinella will leave the Quakers with only two returning big men.
Sophomore Steve Danley, who started all season, averaged 9.2 points per game, while fellow sophomore Mark Zoller overcame an early-season injury to lead the team in rebounding. Both players earned honorable mention All-Ivy status after the 2004-05 season.
This has been the end of a tough week for the Penn frontcourt.
Last week, Penn Dunphy received word that Gonzaga College High School forward Paul Johnson will not be joining the Quakers program next year.
On May 16, Dunphy will see forwards Jan Fikiel, Eric Heil and Nameir Majette leave the University with diplomas in hand.
Another loss at the position was the last thing that Dunphy and the Quakers needed, but it is now very much a reality.
However, the Quakers' lineup next season will be bolstered by a pair of freshman power forwards.
Cameron Lewis -- a 6-8 product of New Hampshire's Phillips Exeter Academy -- and the highly decorated Brennan Votel out of Covington Catholic in Northern Kentucky will call the Palestra home next season.
Also, small forward Tommy McMahon out of Serra High School in San Mateo, Calif., will begin his career with the Quakers.
Pettinella will finish his two-year career at Penn with a career-high of 10 points, which he achieved twice this past season -- during a win over Brown and a loss at Villanova. In the Preseason NIT against Quinnipiac, Pettinella pulled down a career-best nine rebounds in 19 minutes of action.
Under NCAA regulations, if Pettinella transfers to another Division I program, he will have to sit out from basketball for one season.
