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Report: Jordan Tolbert doesn’t want to play for Billy Gillispie

Billy Gillispie

Texas Tech head coach Billy Gillispie instructs his team in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor Monday, Feb. 27, 2012, in Waco, Texas. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez)

AP

The biggest story in college basketball at the moment is the status of Texas Tech head coach Billy Gillispie, regarding both his health and his position with the Red Raiders.

A number of players — both current and former — have already told multiple outlets that Gillispie has been both verbally and physically abusive towards his players in his season-plus in Lubbock, including making an injured player practice, forcing him to tears.

Now it seems like the most important player on Gillispie’s roster is coming out against the coach as well.

ESPN’s Andy Katz spoke with Texas Tech’s Jordan Tolbert, the team’s leading scorer last season, who said he doesn’t want to play for Gillispie when the coach returns from a medical leave of absence.

“I don’t,” Tolbert said by phone. “I don’t. Maybe I would for the assistants. I haven’t put that much thought into it. There is a big sense of urgency. I don’t want to play for him if he comes back.”

This could be the roster death-blow for Gillispie in a cycle that’s led to the conclusion that Gillispie hasn’t changed since he was fired after two drama-filled seasons at Kentucky.

If your best — and for a team with a revolving door for a roster, your most important — player doesn’t want to play for you, who will?

David Harten is the editor of The Backboard Chronicles. You can find him on Twitter at @David_Harten.