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Provo - BYU basketball coach Dave Rose's crowded roster, and uncertain scholarship situation, was cleared significantly on Monday afternoon with the announcement that guard Frank Bartley IV and forward Isaac Neilson are leaving the program.

The players' next destination was not known by BYU officials as of Monday evening.

However, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned that Neilson was urged to seek another place to play, while Bartley's departure was unexpected and difficult for the coaching staff to accept.

"I appreciate all the contributions Frank and Isaac made to our program," Rose said. "We wish them both the very best going forward."

Bartley, a sophomore from Baton Rouge, La., started his BYU career with a bang in 2013 as a freshman, but played less as a sophomore and was wildly inconsistent in 2014-15.

Bartley averaged 3.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game as a freshman. In 33 games as a sophomore, he averaged 2.5 points and 1.8 rebounds.

He is leaving BYU in search of more playing time.

Neilson signed with BYU in November of 2010 out of Mission Viejo, Calif., then served an LDS Church mission to Birmingham, Ala. before sitting out the 2013-14 season. The 6-foot-10 freshman appeared in every game but one (the last, against Ole Miss in Dayton) and averaged 3.1 points and 2.4 rebounds.

He had a season-high 15 points against Weber State in December, making four 3-pointers, but saw his playing time decrease the latter portion of the season with the emergence of fellow freshman Corbin Kaufusi.

A former football player who walked on to the basketball team last summer, Kaufusi is now expected to get a scholarship next season. Rose theoretically has one more scholarship available because returning forward Nate Austin is not expected to get one even if the NCAA grants him another season of eligibility.

The coach said last week that BYU does not expect to sign a new player this spring or summer, but that was before he met individually with every player.

Twitter: @drewjay