Greek club Olympiacos signs Texas F Papapetrou to 5-year deal
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The talent drain from the Texas men's basketball program continues.
The Longhorns confirmed Tuesday that sophomore forward Ioannis (yoh-AH'-nihs) Papapetrou (pah-pah-PEH'-troh) has signed with Greek professional club Olympiacos. Olympiacos says it signed Papapetrou to a five-year contract.
In a statement, Longhorns coach Rick Barnes said the teams and its fans "need to be happy for Papi and his family."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Papapetrou is an Athens native who would have been Texas' top returning scorer next season. He recently played for the Greece national team in the under-20 European championships.
Losing Papapetrou means Texas will be without its top four scorers from last season's team that finished 16-18, the program's first losing season in 15 years. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 8.3 points as a freshman.