Center Joshua Smith leaves UCLA basketball team

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Center Joshua Smith is quitting UCLA's basketball team and the school gave him his immediate release.

He's the second player to leave the program recently. Junior guard Tyler Lamb said last weekend that he would transfer to another school to pursue more playing time.

Smith says he's leaving the Bruins for "personal reasons,'' although he says he enjoyed his two-plus seasons with the program.

The junior averaged 5.2 points and 4.2 rebounds while playing 13.5 minutes a game in UCLA's six games this season.

Coach Ben Howland called Smith "a fine young man who has meant a lot to this program.''

Smith started 24 of 65 games during his first two seasons, which were marked by struggles with weight and conditioning.