PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — Parkersburg South senior guard Taryn McCutcheon announced on Monday that she has left the Patriots’ girls basketball team and moved to Michigan.
The Michigan State signee will finish out her high school career at a new school, likely close to Michigan State’s campus.
“I just want to say that it was for personal reasons,” McCutcheon said. “It was a family decision.”
McCutcheon averaged just under 10 points and seven assists per game this season as the Patriots were off to a 5-2 start to the year.
The move, which was first reported Monday by MetroNews contributor Jack Withrow, caught Parkersburg South coach Scott Stephens by surprise.
“I don’t really have anything to say about it, it is what it is,” Stephens said. “I feel sorry for her and bad for her that she didn’t get to finish her senior year at Parkersburg South. It’s a tough situation and if she wants to talk about it, that’s her business.”
The Patriots return to action on Monday night against Fort Frye (OH).
“We’ll find out who steps up tonight,” Stephens said. “We’ll find out who is going to work a little harder. We have a big piece missing. Hopefully everyone will gel and work harder together. We’ll see what we can do.”
Parkersburg South won the 2013 Class AAA state championship with McCutcheon as a freshman and finished as the runner-up to Morgantown in both 2014 and 2015.