THE SIDELINES : Sean Sutton Drops Out of Purdue

Former University of Kentucky point guard Sean Sutton said today that he has returned home and will sit out the coming season instead of following through with a commitment to attend Purdue University.

“I have decided to leave Purdue, return to Lexington Community College and concentrate on my studies and basketball skills,” Sutton said in a news release. “I will not play collegiate basketball again until next year.”

There was nothing in Sutton’s statement about what schools he might consider attending next year.

Sutton, who averaged 5.9 points and led Kentucky with 146 assists last season, announced his intention to transfer to Purdue on Aug. 3, two months after Rick Pitino was hired as Kentucky’s coach. Pitino replaced Sutton’s father, Eddie Sutton, who resigned in the wake of an NCAA investigation into the school’s basketball program.