Originally Posted by Courtesy of CAAInsider.com

HARRISONBURG - One James Madison basketball player is transferring, another is testing the waters.

Junior reserve guard Joe Posey has been given his release and plans to transfer, new coach Matt Brady said Thursday, while sophomore point guard Pierre Curtis has been granted a conditional release.

Under the conditional release, Brady said, Curtis will retain his scholarship at JMU unless he decides to transfer. Brady said he and Curtis are still negotiating the number of schools Curtis will be allowed to visit.

Curtis, who has started since his freshman season, said he has narrowed his choices to Miami (Fla.), Drake, Vermont and Wyoming.

"He'll be given the opportunity to explore a couple of options," Brady said Thursday afternoon. ".... It's an agreement that we've come to between the two of us.

"I would say to you there's a lot of people in this business that if a player walked in and told him I want to visit other schools, that coach will tell him, ‘See you later, have a good life.' That's really not my intention with this young guy. He just wants to be comfortable and clear-minded if he decides he wants to be at JMU."

Curtis said he "kind of asked" for the release to be sure he makes the right decision.

"There's a lot of personal reasons that I really can't get into, well, I could, but I don't want to get into," said Curtis, who averaged 10.0 points and 4.2 assists per game this season. "I feel like if I explore my options and my decision is to come back, then I know at least I looked and I know this is the best decision for me."

The 6-foot-3 Curtis stressed that he did not ask for the release because of any conflict with Brady. In fact, he said, his conversations with Brady made him more likely to stay than before the new coach arrived two weeks ago.