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Taurean Thompson during a game against Notre Dame on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2017, at Purcell Pavilion in South Bend, Ind. (Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com)

(SYR)

Syracuse, N.Y. -- Sophomore basketball forward Taurean Thompson is not on campus for the start of Syracuse University classes today and is unlikely to return to the Orange.

"We have been informed that Taurean is taking a leave of absence from Syracuse University," SU coach Jim Boeheim said in a statement. "My understanding is he wants to go to school closer to home due to some family health issues."

The statement is something of a conclusion to Thompson's puzzling summer, where rumors circulated about whether his career was finished at SU.

Players trickled back to Syracuse over the weekend to prepare for Monday classes and the start of the 2017-18 school year. Few knew whether Thompson, a 6-foot-9 forward and promising offensive talent, would show up.

Thompson, 20, has been the subject of rumors for much of the summer, some speculating that he would request a transfer from SU, others that he would seek a pro career. He did not attend classes for SU's initial summer sessions, though coaches were hoping to get him to campus for the last session. He never enrolled in summer classes, an unusual though not unprecedented circumstance for returning SU basketball players.

Various sources have said Thompson has not communicated with his Syracuse teammates over the summer. He has declined invitations to hang out with them. He has not returned phone calls or messages.

His whereabouts have been something of a summer-long mystery for many who know him. Messages for his mother, Sherese Piper, with whom Thompson is close, have not been returned. His Brewster Academy coach, Jason Smith, said more than a week ago that he had not spoken with Thompson in months.

When Thompson attended Brewster, he did not have a cell phone and was not on social media, so he was difficult to track down. Smith said he mostly communicated with Piper via email. Thompson still does not have a social media presence, though he does have a phone.

Taurean Thompson during a game against Louisville on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2017, at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky. (Stephen D. Cannerelli | scannerelli@syracuse.com)

Thompson's AAU coach, Jimmy Salmon, said last week he had seen Thompson a couple times over the summer, most recently about a week earlier. Salmon, the coach of the New Jersey Playaz, described Thompson as "a free spirit." He said Thompson had been working out in New Jersey and expected Thompson to be back in Syracuse by the weekend.

"He looked good. He's ready to have a great year in Syracuse," Salmon said.

Others weren't quite as sure.

Nobody with direct knowledge of Thompson's decision-making process has said publicly why Thompson debated returning to Syracuse. He said after SU's last game against Mississippi that he would return to school for his sophomore season, that he wasn't ready to begin a professional basketball career. He was expected to play an integral role with the Orange in 2017-18, his plentiful offensive skills the perfect complement for the perimeter and attacking ability of Tyus Battle, who is SU's top returning scorer (11.3 ppg).

Thompson averaged 9.2 points per game and 3.8 rebounds per game in 17.9 minutes of action last season. He shot .546 from the field and .645 from the free throw line. He displayed a keen knack for scoring, an unusual trait in freshmen big men. He could put the ball on the floor and finish at the rim. He could face-up and drain jump shots. He struggled for much of the year to comprehend the nuances of SU's 2-3 zone defense.

Without him, the Orange would need to rely on 7-foot-2 Paschal Chukwu in the middle, with support from 6-10 incoming freshman Bourama Sidibe. Chukwu, a Providence transfer, missed most of last season after undergoing eye surgery.