Rocky Top Talk: Reaction To The Basketball Arrests And Suspensions

SB Nation's Tennessee blog, Rocky Top Talk, has a reaction piece up about the arrest and subsequent suspension of four Volunteer basketball players on New Year's Day. 

The suspensions are similar to the ones initally doled out after three Tennessee football players were arrested in November. But they may not be the end of the discipline based on head coach Bruce Pearl's track record.

This is the same strategy Lane Kiffin and Mike Hamilton took on the arrests of Nu'Keese Richardson, Mike Edwards, and Janzen Jackson (who was later cleared). And Pearl has shown he has no problem dismissing players from the team: now in the fifth year of his tenure, Pearl has said goodbye to Major Wingate, Ramar Smith, Duke Crews, while Josh Tabb withdrew from the university while on an indefinite suspension. Wingate, Smith and Crews were drug-related dismissals.

The post also makes mention, yet again, as to how important these four players are to the team as a whole.

 

• F Tyler Smith: 26.8 mins, 11.7 pts, 4.7 rebs, 3.7 assts
• G Cameron Tatum: 19.6 mins, 8.7 pts, 2.4 rebs, 1.7 assts
• C Brian Williams: 16.7 mins, 5.9 pts, 5.4 rebs
• G Melvin Goins: 16.3 mins, 6.1 pts, 2.2 rebs, 2.3 assts

 

Will at Rocky Top Talk says their replacements will have to be ready to go before that Wednesday home game against Charlotte.