USC basketball: Former Trojans commit Gary Franklin reportedly leaving Cal; Trojans have no interest

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California freshman guard Gary Franklin, a former Santa Ana Mater Dei star and a onetime USC commit, has reportedly decided to leave the Bears and will transfer.

Franklin started 11 games for Cal, averaging 8.2 points in that stretch, but the 6-foot-2 guard has come off the bench recently. His highest-scoring game was against New Mexico, when he had 16 points.

A source close to the USC men’s basketball team who spoke on condition of anonymity because Franklin’s departure was not official said the Trojans had ‘no interest’ in pursuing Franklin, who would have to sit out two seasons if he were to transfer to another Pacific 10 Conference school.

Franklin was one of the most highly touted point-guard recruits in the nation in the class of 2010 and had verbally committed to USC as a junior out of Mater Dei, but he backed off when then-coach Tim Floyd left the Trojans in 2009 following allegations of scandal surrounding former guard O.J. Mayo.

-- Baxter Holmes