PROVIDENCE � In what can only be termed a puzzling development Josh Fortune, a two-year starter on the Providence College basketball team, has decided to transfer.

PROVIDENCE � In what can only be termed a puzzling development Josh Fortune, a two-year starter on the Providence College basketball team, has decided to transfer.

Fortune, who played 33 minutes a game as a sophomore this past season, must sit out the 2014-15 season and would have two years of eligibility remaining. Reached at his home in Hampton, Va., Fortune declined comment on the reasoning for his transfer Friday. His mother, Angela, said her son didn�t want to talk to the Journal until he was free to speak with other colleges.

�Josh doesn�t want to talk until he is allowed to talk to other schools,� Angela Fortune said.

By all indications PC will give Fortune a full release and he�ll be free to contact prospective schools. Providence coach Ed Cooley was in no mood to expound on the news either. When reached Friday, Cooley declined comment. There also were no quotes from the coach given in a terse, two sentence release on Fortune�s transfer issued by the school.

One person close to the situation said Fortune had expressed an interest in playing closer to his home and perhaps in the Atlantic Coast Conference. What�s interesting is that the 6-foot-5, 200-pounder was fortunate to see as much playing time and take as many shots as he had in his time at Providence. As a freshman, Fortune averaged 5.5 points over 23 minutes a game. He started 18 games despite shooting just 32 percent, 29 percent from the 3-point line.

This past season Fortune�s role grew as his shot became more dependable. He started every game and scored 8.4 points a night. He hit 35 percent of his 3-pointers and finished second on the team to star guard Bryce Cotton with 56 threes. His forte seemed to be the clutch 3-pointer, some of which were followed by fouls from a charging defender. He converted vital four-point plays in a double overtime loss to Villanova and a big late-season win over Marquette.

His season-high scoring game came in a Big East Tournament win over St. John�s when he drained four 3-pointers and finished with 24 points. He played 37 minutes in that game and saw 40 (or more) minutes in six of the team�s final nine games. Somewhat revealingly, however, in the NCAA Tournament game against North Carolina, the Tar Heels made sure to limit Fortune�s open looks. The strategy worked wonders as Fortune made just one of his five shots.

The loss of an experienced starter like Fortune certainly stings a Friar team that now returns only three players (LaDontae Henton, Tyler Harris, Carson Desrosiers) who saw any meaningful minutes last season. Cooley and his staff have six new players ready to inject into the program but only transfer Junior Lomomba, freshman Jalen Lindsey and perhaps the 6-9 Harris seem targeted for duty at the off guard spot.

The Friars have three open scholarships for 2014-15 and Cooley said �we�re hunting right now,� when asked how he�d like to fill those vacancies. One intriguing option is Antoine Mason, the nation�s leading returning scorer who averaged 25.6 points at Niagara this past season. Mason has graduated and is free to transfer to another school for his final season of eligibility if he enrolls in a graduate school. The PC coaching staff has contacted Mason and is interested in adding him to the program.

The 6-3 guard from Queens totaled 1,934 points in three seasons in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, good for the third-best total ever at Niagara. Mason is the son of former New York Knick Anthony Mason and hails from New Rochelle, N.Y.