MHERST - University of Massachusetts sophomore guard Gary Correia plans to transfer at the end of the semester, becoming the second basketball player to leave the program since the season ended last month.

An official announcement by UMass is expected next week. However, Correia's planned departure was confirmed by multiple sources.

Correia, a point guard from Providence, R.I,, who attended Northfield Mount Hermon, averaged 2.2 points in 11 minutes per game as a sophomore.

His playing time did not figure to improve as a junior. UMass coach Derek Kellogg repeatedly has called freshman David Gibbs his point guard of the future and Connecticut transfer Doug Wiggins will likely see minutes there as well.

Kellogg declined comment until Correia's transfer became official.

His departure leaves Matt Hill as the lone remaining player from Travis Ford's eight-man recruiting class that signed in the fall of 2006. Hill had a season-ending Achilles injury in November. That is the second major Achilles injury of Hill's career, and his ability to return to Division I basketball is uncertain.

Marcus Matthews opted to go to prep school and never enrolled at UMass. Matt Glass, who announced his plan to depart last month, Max Groebe (Cornell), Papa Lo (Bryant) and Travon Wilcher (Maine) each decided to transfer, while Trey Lang left the team after his freshman season and is no longer playing Division I basketball.

NOT HEADING TO MEMPHIS - Kellogg's name has appeared in several speculative media reports as a potential candidate to replace his former boss and ex-UMass coach John Calipari at Memphis, but Kellogg said there's no validity to that.

"Nobody's contacted me," said Kellogg, who said he isn't interested in moving. "I'm focused on getting things going here."

VINSON VISITING - Correia's departure leaves UMass with an open scholarship. The Minutemen are hoping it goes to Baltimore-area forward Terrell Vinson. The 6-foot-7 prospect will visit UMass next week. He has had interest from Maryland, Cincinnati, South Florida and recently Louisville in addition to UMass.

Matt Vautour can be reached at [email protected]. For more UMass coverage, including a UMass sports blog, go to http://www.gazettenet.com/category/sports/umass-sports