Editor’s note: Former men’s basketball player Shannon Evans submitted this letter to The Spectrum Tuesday night.

To the students, family and friends of the University at Buffalo.

It is with a very heavy heart that I say goodbye to the college that I have grown to know and love for the past two years. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life, but I have chosen to transfer to Arizona State to play basketball and reunite with my mentor and father figure, Coach Bobby Hurley.

It was not an easy decision to make. I will always appreciate my teammates, my friends, the professors who cared about their students, and the fans (especially TRUE BLUE) that helped me reach the level I have at UB.

It is now time to take it to another level and I will always carry the memories, joy and love of my years at UB with me. There are many people to thank. There are so many people who have touched me and allowed my passion to touch them. I would like to thank my Academic Advisor and mentor Dr. Kush K. Bhardwaj (“Dr. B”) for his never-ending support of me. He is a person that actually cares about the athletes here at UB and does everything in his power to help us grow not only as student-athletes but also as adults in society. You will truly be missed; I can only wish to have someone like you at ASU. I’d like to thank Dr. Donald Reed, Rashidi Greene and Erin MacDiarmid for their encouragement and guidance. I would especially like to thank Mr. Danny White and Allen Greene for the opportunity to play for the University at Buffalo.

I would also like to wish my former teammates and Coach Oats the best of luck in the future. We won a MAC championship together and I sincerely hope you win many more. It would be amazing to play you in the NCAA Tournament. To all my TRUE “Hollywood” fans it will be you I miss most. I can only pray to have the support that you have shown me in the rest of my career.

No matter what. Once a bull……forever a bull.

I will see you all soon.

Sincerely.

Shannon “Hollywood” Evans II