Colorado sophomore Dustin Thomas will leave the men’s basketball program with the intent to transfer, the school announced Monday. 

Thomas, a 6-foot-7, 225-pound guard out of Texarkana, Texas, appeared in all 32 for the Buffaloes this past season, starting 11.  He averaged 4.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 17 minutes per game. 

“Dustin has decided it’s in his best interest to leave CU and finish his collegiate career elsewhere,” CU coach Tad Boyle said in a release. “ I wish nothing but the best for Dustin; he’ll always be a part of the Buffalo Basketball family.” 

Thomas, a key contributor off the bench for the Buffs, scored a season-best 17 points, with three steals in a home victory over Southern California on Jan. 4, and also scored 12 points in the regular-season finale against Arizona State. 

An “open option” major in Colorado’s College of Arts and Sciences, Thomas leaves CU with career averages of 4.0 points on 43.0 percent shooting with 2.5 rebounds per game in his two seasons. 

Thomas led Pleasant Grove (Texas) High to a 29-2 record his senior season and was named MVP of the 3A Region II District 15 while averaging 20 points, 14 rebounds, five assists and five steals per game. 

Neither CU nor Thomas have announced where he plans to transfer. 

Nicki Jhabvala: njhabvala@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nickijhabvala