Another Player Leaves Arizona

December 27, 1999 / 9:09 PM EST / CBS/AP

Center Robertas Javtokas has left the Arizona basketball program to return to his native Lithuania.

Javtokas plans to sign with a professional team in Lithuania, Arizona coach Lute Olson said Monday.

The 6-foot-10 freshman had played sparingly for the Wildcats and had experienced considerable frustration in Tucson.

"Part of the reason was his frustration with his classes from a language barrier, which makes it that much more difficult," Olson said. "The easier way for him is to head back and play professionally there, effective immediately."

Javkotas is the latest in a series of departures from Olson's program.

Earlier, Luke Recker, who was sitting out this season after transferring from Indiana, decided to transfer to Iowa to be closer to his girlfriend, who was seriously injured in an auto accident.

Guard Ruben Douglas transferred to New Mexico after losing his starting job to freshman Gilbert Arenas. Junior-college transfer Lamont Frazier, a point guard, was sidelined by illness, then had academic problems, and now is seeking to redshirt this season.

Power forward Eugene Edgerson is sitting out this season to concentrate on getting his degree.

The departures leave the fifth-ranked Wildcats (9-2) with only eight available players who are on scholarship.

"A lot of teams are not going to think we are as deep as we were, or that we will come out and play with the same intensity as before," Arizona's Loren Woods said. "We are going to have to use those guys leaving as motivation for us."

Javtokas, who moved to the United States nearly two years ago, missed Arizona's Dec. 18 game against Nebraska in Las Vegas while he was contemplating his situation.

He returned to the team and played in Arizona's 70-68 loss to New Mexico last Tuesday.

But he did not return to the campus from Christmas break.

Javtokas scored six points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots in 55 minutes of play this season.