Post by MizzouTiger on Jan 30, 2008 12:22:22 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/story/467155.html
Missouri suspends five basketball players
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star
COLUMBIA | Keon Lawrence’s excitement over rejoining the Missouri starting lineup is likely tempered, if not completely tamped out by coach Mike Anderson’s suspension of five of Lawrence’s teammates.
Late Tuesday afternoon Anderson indefinitely sat down Marshall Brown, Darryl Butterfield, Jason Horton, Leo Lyons and Stefhon Hannah for a violation of team rules.
That means Missouri is down to six scholarship players and two walk-ons for tonight’s game at 7 against Nebraska at Mizzou Arena.
The probable starting lineup will be Matt Lawrence, Keon Lawrence and J.T. Tiller at guard with Vaidotas Volkus and DeMarre Carroll at the forwards. Freshman Justin Safford, a forward and the only other scholarship player, could start in place of Volkus. Non-scholarship players Nick Berardini and Michael Anderson Jr. — the coach’s son — are the only other reserves.
“I am very disappointed in the actions of these young men,” Anderson said. “We have defined team rules, and when those rules aren’t followed our guys must be held accountable for their actions.”
Early Sunday morning Hannah received a broken jaw in an altercation outside the Athena Night Club in downtown Columbia. Police were called to the scene at 1:07 a.m., well past the midnight curfew that is part of Anderson’s “zero tolerance” code of conduct.
MU officials declined to confirm a link between that incident and the suspensions. But Anderson’s mass suspensions made a definitive statement that was as decisive as it was quick.
Just short of 24 hours earlier, Anderson stood in the interview room at Mizzou Arena saying repeatedly he was investigating the Hannah incident and sidestepping speculation that more players were at Athena and out past curfew.
That perceived inaction drew criticism on sports radio talk shows and Internet message boards most of the day Tuesday. A survey of those outlets shortly after the suspensions were announced reflected mostly solid support.
Anderson announced the suspensions were subject to review but didn’t offer a hint of when that might take place. Missouri plays host to Kansas State on Saturday.
The suspension of Hannah is somewhat academic. The senior point guard is back in Chicago with his family, having been released from University Hospital on Monday following surgery on his jaw on Sunday. The prognosis for his return is four to six weeks, if he returns.
The other suspended players may continue to practice but will not be allowed to play in games until — or if — Anderson ends the suspensions.
Brown, Butterfield and Horton are seniors. Lyons is a junior. All except Butterfield have been starters in at least one game in a 12-8 season that includes a 2-3 record in the Big 12.
Anderson had previously indicated Keon Lawrence would likely start in place of Hannah — a spotlight welcomed by Lawrence, a sophomore from Newark, N.J., even though he regretted how it came about.
Lawrence started eight of Missouri’s final nine games a year ago. That, in part, is why Anderson picked Lawrence to start tonight against the Aleks Maric-led Cornhuskers, who suddenly seem more formidable than their 11-6 overall record and 0-4 mark in the Big 12 initially indicated.
“He’s been there,” Anderson said of Lawrence. “He’s done it before.”
But no group of Missouri athletes has been asked to do what the mass suspensions have made a requirement.
Matt Lawrence will be the veteran of the new starting five. He has started 20 games this season.
Missouri suspends five basketball players
By MIKE DeARMOND
The Kansas City Star
COLUMBIA | Keon Lawrence’s excitement over rejoining the Missouri starting lineup is likely tempered, if not completely tamped out by coach Mike Anderson’s suspension of five of Lawrence’s teammates.
Late Tuesday afternoon Anderson indefinitely sat down Marshall Brown, Darryl Butterfield, Jason Horton, Leo Lyons and Stefhon Hannah for a violation of team rules.
That means Missouri is down to six scholarship players and two walk-ons for tonight’s game at 7 against Nebraska at Mizzou Arena.
The probable starting lineup will be Matt Lawrence, Keon Lawrence and J.T. Tiller at guard with Vaidotas Volkus and DeMarre Carroll at the forwards. Freshman Justin Safford, a forward and the only other scholarship player, could start in place of Volkus. Non-scholarship players Nick Berardini and Michael Anderson Jr. — the coach’s son — are the only other reserves.
“I am very disappointed in the actions of these young men,” Anderson said. “We have defined team rules, and when those rules aren’t followed our guys must be held accountable for their actions.”
Early Sunday morning Hannah received a broken jaw in an altercation outside the Athena Night Club in downtown Columbia. Police were called to the scene at 1:07 a.m., well past the midnight curfew that is part of Anderson’s “zero tolerance” code of conduct.
MU officials declined to confirm a link between that incident and the suspensions. But Anderson’s mass suspensions made a definitive statement that was as decisive as it was quick.
Just short of 24 hours earlier, Anderson stood in the interview room at Mizzou Arena saying repeatedly he was investigating the Hannah incident and sidestepping speculation that more players were at Athena and out past curfew.
That perceived inaction drew criticism on sports radio talk shows and Internet message boards most of the day Tuesday. A survey of those outlets shortly after the suspensions were announced reflected mostly solid support.
Anderson announced the suspensions were subject to review but didn’t offer a hint of when that might take place. Missouri plays host to Kansas State on Saturday.
The suspension of Hannah is somewhat academic. The senior point guard is back in Chicago with his family, having been released from University Hospital on Monday following surgery on his jaw on Sunday. The prognosis for his return is four to six weeks, if he returns.
The other suspended players may continue to practice but will not be allowed to play in games until — or if — Anderson ends the suspensions.
Brown, Butterfield and Horton are seniors. Lyons is a junior. All except Butterfield have been starters in at least one game in a 12-8 season that includes a 2-3 record in the Big 12.
Anderson had previously indicated Keon Lawrence would likely start in place of Hannah — a spotlight welcomed by Lawrence, a sophomore from Newark, N.J., even though he regretted how it came about.
Lawrence started eight of Missouri’s final nine games a year ago. That, in part, is why Anderson picked Lawrence to start tonight against the Aleks Maric-led Cornhuskers, who suddenly seem more formidable than their 11-6 overall record and 0-4 mark in the Big 12 initially indicated.
“He’s been there,” Anderson said of Lawrence. “He’s done it before.”
But no group of Missouri athletes has been asked to do what the mass suspensions have made a requirement.
Matt Lawrence will be the veteran of the new starting five. He has started 20 games this season.