nthony Gurley, a sophomore wing guard at Wake Forest, has left school and has returned home to the Boston area.

Coach Dino Gaudio of the Deacons said that Gurley left for personal reasons regarding Gurley’s immediate family.

“He leaves Wake Forest in good academic standing, that’s the first thing I want to say about Anthony’s situation,” Gaudio said yesterday.

Gaudio said that today he will start the process of releasing Gurley from his scholarship so he can play elsewhere.

Gaudio didn’t know where Gurley was going to transfer but speculated that it might be to Northeastern University, which is in Boston.

Gaudio said that Gurley was in school at the start of the semester. “He just wants to be closer to home and I’m not going to stand in his way if that’s the way he feels,” Gaudio said.

Gurley, who is 6-3, came to Wake Forest with the reputation of a great shooter. He played in 31 games last season, making one start on Jan. 13 against N.C. State. Gurley averaged 6.4 points a game in nearly 15 minutes a game. Gurley shot 39 percent from the field and 31 percent on 3-pointers.

“I am very saddened to not attend Wake Forest,” Gurley said. “I am dealing with a personal situation and it is in my best interests to leave the university at this time.

“I have loved being a part of the Deacon basketball team and I wish to thank my teammates and coaches for allowing me to be a part of something very special. This is clearly the most difficult decision I have ever had to make in my life.”

Gaudio said that one of Gurley’s best games came early in the year at DePaul when he came off the bench to score 14 points in 14 minutes. Gurley’s most productive game was a 24-point outburst in 31 minutes against Georgia Tech.

“I think Anthony is a hard worker and has a huge upside,” Gaudio said.

“I think he can be a very good scorer.”

Gaudio said that Gurley had thought about leaving in the spring, but came back for the fall semester.

“He tried to stick it out, but felt like it was better to go back home,” Gaudio said.

With Gurley’s departure it now opens up a scholarship for the 2009 class.

“We only had one scholarship for ’09 and now we will have a little more flexibility with another scholarship,” Gaudio said.