Having received a ten-game suspension in mid-January for a violation of athletic department policy, Oregon State forward Victor Robbins was expected to be eligible to return to the court February 19. However Robbins once again landed in hot water, as he received a DUI citation on Sunday.
As a result of that situation, Oregon State head coach Wayne Tinkle announced prior to the team’s game at UCLA on Wednesday that Robbins has received an “extended suspension.” While no timeframe has been given with regards to when Robbins may be allowed to return to the court, in the release Tinkle made note of the need to address some off-court issues before worrying about basketball.
For a team that doesn’t have a lot of depth, losing Robbins did hurt Oregon State in that area. However Tinkle’s players have adjusted, using a stingy defense (they lead the Pac-12 in both field goal and three-point percentage defense) to win seven of their first 11 conference games. Oregon State has won five of the eight games they’ve played without Robbins, with all three defeats coming on the road.