Update: Alabama lost 67-58. Freshman Rodney Cooper scored 28 points to lead the eight players who saw action for the Tide.
From the AP story regarding the suspensions:
The three were driven back to Tuscaloosa on Saturday by a graduate assistant after coach Anthony Grant learned of an earlier incident involving the three players. Grant declined to discuss any specifics about the violation, other than to say it was not related to Tony Mitchell’s suspension last Monday for conduct detrimental to the team.
Mitchell is Alabama’s second-leading scorer and rebounder.
“The thing that’s most disappointing is how it affects so many other people, from loved ones and teammates and the program, the goals of the program, and then those that care deeply about this university,” Grant said. “Obviously, I take responsibility for these young men in terms of the decisions and hopefully the values that they learn or get built upon from their families when they come to me. So (we’ve) just got to continue to try to make sure we do as best a job as we can to give them opportunities to learn and continue to grow as young men.”
Grant said he had not decided whether any of the four suspended players would return for Alabama’s next game Tuesday against Florida and declined to say what those players would need to do to earn reinstatement.
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Original post: Just when the Alabama basketball team appeared to turn a corner, three of its top players put the Crimson Tide in unprecedented territory.
Green
Starters JaMychal Green, Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele were sent home from Baton Rouge before today’s 6 p.m., game at LSU. Alabama was already shorthanded without suspended Tony Mitchell, the team’s second-leading scorer.
Saturday’s suspensions, like Mitchell’s, are indefinite. A news release said the actions resulted from violations of team rules.
Releford
“We are extremely disappointed in the choices and decisions made by these young men that has led to this suspension,” coach Anthony Grant said in a news release. “Talent is a gift, but character is a choice. The consequences of their choices have negatively impacted them as individuals and the people that love and support them. Our hope is that they will be mature enough to accept responsibility for their actions and place a higher value on their character.”
Steele
That leaves just three players — freshmen Nick Jacobs, Levi Randolph, and Trevor Lacey — averaging at least 20 minutes of playing time.
This is the complete list of who is available tonight with scoring average:
Trevor Lacey 6.9
Levi Randolph 6.0
Charles Hankerson 5.7
Nick Jacobs 5.6
Moussa Gueye 5.4
Rodney Cooper 2.4
Carl Engstrom 2.0
Ben Eblen 0.3
Dakota Slaughter (walk on hasn’t played this season).
So what will the lineup look like?
F JaMychal Green, 6-8, Sr., 14.1 ppg., 7.2 rpg. Charles Hankerson
F Nick Jacobs, 6-8, Fr., 5.5 ppg., 3.7 rpg.
G Trevor Releford, 6-1, So., 12.4 ppg., 3.1 assists Ben Eblen
G Levi Randolph, 6-5, Fr., 6.1 ppg., 3.7 rpg.
G Andrew Steele, 6-4, Jr., 5.8 ppg., 3.1 rpg. Trevor Lacey
Grant could always throw Moussa Gueye or Carl Engstrom in there to battle the size of LSU. It’s anyone’s guess at this point.
Alabama (16-7, 5-4 SEC) had momentum and a three-game winning streak after pounding Auburn, 68-50 on Tuesday. LSU (13-10, 3-6 SEC) lost four of its previous five games.
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