Following his team's 75-53 win over Jacksonville State on Saturday, Tennessee standout Lamonte Turner told reporters he had played his final collegiate game and will opt to have season-ending shoulder surgery.
"After he met with the media today, Lamonté and his family sat down with me and he informed me of his decision," coach Rick Barnes said in a statement. "He gave everything he had for four and a half years, he earned his degree and he played a key role in establishing the culture of our program. We all love Lamonté and are saddened that he is unable to continue playing at this time. We'll continue to support him as he takes his next steps."
Turner, who is averaging 12.7 points and 6.7 assists per game, helped Tennessee evolve into an SEC contender under Barnes. The Vols won 16 games during Turner's freshman season. Last year, Turner averaged 11.0 points per game and made 78 percent of his free throws for a team that secured the No. 1 ranking in the country and reached the Sweet 16.
Turner has struggled this season, however. He has made just 35% of his shots inside the arc and 23 percent of his 3-point attempts. In a 51-47 home loss to rival Memphis last week, Turner finished 1-for-11 from the field.
Hours prior to Saturday's announcement, he referenced the song "Chip on My Shoulder" by rapper Rod Wave in a post on Instagram.