James Bourne, Derrick Henry to leave Winthrop basketball program
Winthrop men's basketball coach Pat Kelsey has announced that Derrick Henry and James Bourne will not be returning for the 2015-16 season. Each will be completing their fourth year at Winthrop and are on track to graduate in May.
"I would like to thank James and Derrick for their contributions to our basketball program and wish them luck in their future endeavors upon graduation in May," said Kelsey.
Both players were recruited by Kelsey’s predecessor, Randy Peele. Both are also excellent students that suffered serious knee injuries during their four years in Rock Hill.
Bourne, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound redshirt junior power forward from Alexandria, Va., played in 92 games with 52 starts for Winthrop. He started 28 of 30 games during the 2012-13 season, Kelsey’s first. He departs with career averages of 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, and also shot 54 percent from the floor. Additionally, Bourne made the Big South’s All-Academic team two years ago.
Henry, a redshirt junior, also was an important piece for Winthrop during the 2012-13 campaign. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound guard from Covington, Ga., led the team in scoring that season at 11.4 points per contest. Henry suffered a knee injury late that year and missed the 2013-14 season, but returned to play in 31 games this past season.
Henry was also named All-Academic for the 2014-15 campaign, the second time he received the award. He played in 78 games with 32 starts in his three years on the court for the Eagles. Upon transferring to new schools, Bourne and Henry will be eligible to play immediately.
“Thanks to their Winthrop degrees, both of these young men have extremely bright futures,” Kelsey said. “Derrick and James accepted and embraced roles defined by a new coaching staff during their career, and helped the program reach back-to-back Big South Championship games. They contributed significantly to the culture that we take pride in today within our program.”
This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 10:40 AM with the headline "James Bourne, Derrick Henry to leave Winthrop basketball program."