Roderick Flemings, one of the most highly regarded players to sign with North Texas the last few seasons, has left the program and will enroll at a junior college, UNT head coach Johnny Jones confirmed on Monday.

Roderick Flemings

Flemings was a first-team all-state selection his senior year at DeSoto, but has yet to fulfill his considerable potential at two colleges. The 6-7 small forward left Oklahoma State during his freshman year before transferring to UNT.

“It was in the best interest of Roderick to withdraw from school and enroll in a junior college,” Jones said. “We wanted to do what was best for him and the program. I met with him and we decided going to a junior college would be the best route for him.”

Flemings signed with UNT in May and was scheduled to sit out the 2006-07 season at UNT before becoming eligible during the 2007-08 season.

Flemings briefly considered leaving UNT to attend junior college in August, but decided to remain at the school.

Flemings attended practices and classes during the fall semester at UNT before deciding to leave the school and pursue other opportunities.

Flemings committed to OSU after graduating from DeSoto and spent one season with the Cowboys before leaving the team during the 2005-06 season.

He played sparingly in his only season at OSU, averaging 3.1 points in 11.5 minutes a game.

Flemings was a first-team all-state selection and a first-team pick on The Dallas Morning News All-Area Team as a senior in 2004-05 when he averaged 16.0 points a game.

Flemings was rated among the top 50 college basketball prospects in the country by several scouting services coming out of high school.

Several transfers have enjoyed success under Jones at UNT, while Flemings is among a small number who have not panned out.

Senior guard Kendrick Davis, an Arkansas transfer, was the Newcomer of the Year in the Sun Belt Conference last season. Junior center Keith Wooden, a transfer from Arizona State, has joined Davis in the Mean Green’s starting lineup this year.

Jones expressed confidence in UNT’s future, despite the departure of Flemings. The Mean Green is off to a 13-6 start this season heading into a home game against Middle Tennessee on Thursday.

“We will be fine,” Jones said. “This will give us another spot to recruit to.”

BRETT VITO can be reached at 940-566-6870. His e-mail address is bvito@dentonrc.com  .