Dec. 1, 2000

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) - Senior guard Marcus Moody has quit the University of Memphis basketball team because of dissatisfaction over his role on the squad.

Moody's departure came Friday after a 40-minute meeting with coach John Calipari and Moody's father, Dwight Moody.

Calipari said the door is open for Moody to return.

The 6-foot-5 guard was the team's second leading scorer with 8.2 points per game but now plays behind freshman Scooter McFadgon.

Calipari said Moody was dissatisfied about his playing time and about not being in the starting lineup. He also believed the offense should be more geared to his strengths, the coach said.

An off-again, on-again starter since his freshman season, Moody was demoted to a reserve role by interim coach Johnny Jones for the final seven games of last season.

"He has been through three coaches and the end of last year they benched him and won," Calipari said. "And after going through all that and now he's playing behind a freshman, that was a little too hard to swallow."