Well, that didn’t last long.
Earlier this afternoon, Josh Pastner dismissed Jelan Kendrick from the Memphis basketball team. Kendrick had been suspended twice already, once for the team’s trip to the Bahamas in August and again late in October. As Dan Wolken explains, there was another incident prior to last night’s game against Centenary:
This is a pretty impressive move by Josh Pastner. Jelan Kendrick is a very talented basketball player. He was a McDonald’s all-american. And Pastner gave him the boot before he actually played a game without Kendrick running into legal issues, academic issues, or eligibility issues.
That is quite a statement. You don’t want to be a team player? You don’t want to listen to the coaching staff? Well, get-to-steppin’. Kendrick, if he stays at Memphis and maintains his academic standing, can transfer to another school and be eligible by the spring semester of 2012. That’s a full year and a half away from the game. You don’t think that will have a negative effect on Kendrick?
And you don’t think any and all current and future Tigers got the message?
Kendrick could have been an impact player for the Tigers had his head been on straight. But without him in the fold, there are still plenty of versatile and athletic wings -- Will and Antonio Barton, Charles Carmouche, Chris Crawford.
Memphis will be OK.
Kendrick? I’m not so sure.
Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @ballinisahabit.