DURHAM - Taylor King won't be wearing Duke blue next season. The school announced late Monday that the rising sophomore will transfer out of the men's basketball program.

With five weeks left in Duke's spring semester, King probably will finish the academic year.

"Taylor is a solid young man and has the ability to be a good player," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said in a news release. "We support him in his decision to transfer and wish him the best of luck in the future."

King is probably seeking more playing time because his skill proved a poor fit at Duke.

During summer pickup games, King showed he could run the floor, attack the hoop and fearlessly shoot 3-pointers all over the floor. His Duke career started with a bang -- a 27-point barrage against Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 25.

But trying to crash the guard party behind senior DeMarcus Nelson, junior Greg Paulus and sophomores Jon Scheyer and Gerald Henderson proved an obstacle.

Also, the Devils were desperate for size. King had it at 6 feet, 7 inches, but he was still learning to play college-level defense.

King played in all 34 games for Duke and averaged 5.9 points and 2.0 rebounds in 2007-08. His 43 3-pointers ranks eighth all-time among Duke freshmen.

But, while working on his defense, his shooting touch came and went and he rarely was able to show his skill off the dribble as his playing time wavered.

The 2007 McDonald's All American and California Mr. Basketball came to Duke with a finely-honed reputation as a sharpshooter and scorer with size.

While at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, Calif., King scored 3,214 points, which ranks fourth in California history.

King also gained attention when, before his freshman year at Mater Dei, he became the youngest player ever to commit to a Division I school -- UCLA. He eventually reopened his recruitment and chose Duke over Syracuse, Gonzaga and Villanova.