Bad news for the Pitt Panthers basketball team this morning, as it was announced that redshirt junior Gilbert Brown, projected as the starting small forward, will miss the first half of the season on academic suspension. Ironically, this would be the same Gilbert Brown that won the team's Academic Excellence Award last season.
The 6'6", 200-pounder from Harrisburg will miss at least the first 11 games and will not be eligible to rejoin the team until December 20. If that's the case, he will miss the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic in Kansas City (also featuring Texas, Wichita State, and Iowa) and the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden, where they will face old foe Tom Crean and Indiana.
Brown, who started 15 games in place of Mike Cook in 2007-08, was the front-runner to replace the Memphis Grizzlies' Sam Young in the rebuilt Panther lineup this year. He was also being counted on to provide some veteran leadership, given the fact that the team has only two seniors on their roster, Jermaine Dixon and transfer Chase Adams. Brown averaged 6.5 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 2007-08, and 5.4/3.1 despite decreased minutes in 2008-09.
Brown's absence could mean an opportunity for 6'5" sophomore Nasir Robinson and 6'5" freshman Lamar Patterson in the Pitt lineup. But make no bones about it, this is not a good thing for a Pitt team facing bulk lineup changes for the 2009-10 season.
Panthers' Brown on academic suspension [PG]
Brown, who started 15 games in place of Mike Cook in 2007-08, was the front-runner to replace the Memphis Grizzlies' Sam Young in the rebuilt Panther lineup this year. He was also being counted on to provide some veteran leadership, given the fact that the team has only two seniors on their roster, Jermaine Dixon and transfer Chase Adams. Brown averaged 6.5 PPG and 3.1 RPG in 2007-08, and 5.4/3.1 despite decreased minutes in 2008-09.
Brown's absence could mean an opportunity for 6'5" sophomore Nasir Robinson and 6'5" freshman Lamar Patterson in the Pitt lineup. But make no bones about it, this is not a good thing for a Pitt team facing bulk lineup changes for the 2009-10 season.
Panthers' Brown on academic suspension [PG]
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1 comment:
This. Sucks.
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