As has been long expected, Mississippi State basketball signee Josh Gray, a point guard from Wheatley, Texas, has been given a release from his scholarship by the school. The MSU compliance office confirmed what BulldawgJunction.com reported this afternoon.

The 6-foot-1 Gray, a three-star prospect according to Rivals.com, had said he would seek a release from his scholarship. Gray has not returned my calls, but the Junction reported that Gray was released due to what the site called "academic and off-the-court issues."

This leaves MSU with four signees in the 2012 class for now. New coach Rick Ray is trying to keep those guys on board while pursuing some other prospects. If he retains the current signees, then Ray has four more scholarship spots he can fill; State currently has five scholarship players returning.

Gray expressed some frustration on Twitter about not being allowed to transfer to another SEC school (CLICK HERE). Technically, that's not true, but the SEC rule that applies here does make it difficult for a player to do so.

SEC bylaw 15.01.2 says that an athlete who signs with an SEC school but never enrolls – or withdraws before completing the first academic term – may not receive financial aid from another SEC institution for said athlete's first two years in residence. In other words, Gray could indeed transfer to Florida or Kentucky or Tennessee or wherever, but he'd have to be a walk-on his first two seasons.