Freshman shooting guard Bo Barnes has decided to leave the Hawaii men’s basketball team.

Citing family reasons, Barnes, who was part of UH coach Gib Arnold’s first recruiting class, will transfer to a school to be determined.

After the season, Barnes expressed to Arnold a desire to play alongside his younger brother.

“This was a difficult decision,” Barnes said in a UH release. “Being away from my family has been tough and this decision allows me to be closer to them. I absolutely love Hawaii, the fans and especially my teammates. I want to thank Coach Arnold and the staff for giving me the opportunity to play here at UH. It was an honor to be a Rainbow Warrior.”

Barnes was just one of two Rainbows to appear in all 32 games in the recently completed 19-13 season. He averaged 6.9 points and shot 38.8 percent on 3-pointers, his specialty.

The 6-foot-4 freshman of Scottsdale, Ariz., was especially impressive early in the season. He posted back-to-back games of 19 points and five 3-pointers to kick off the year, though he faded to a reserve role by Western Athletic Conference play.

His 57 3-pointers is a UH freshman record.

“Bo asked to be released and expressed the desire of possibly playing with his younger brother,” Arnold said. “He and his family have always hoped they could play together. Bo had a phenomenal freshman season with us and helped us win a number of games. We appreciate his contributions to the program and wish him all the best.”

Barnes’ departure frees up an additional scholarship for the 2011-12 season.