In case you missed it yesterday...
Virginia men’s head basketball coach Tony Bennett has announced that sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg (Flushing, N.Y.) will not play in games for the remainder of the 2009-10 season for failure to live up to his academic obligations.
“Sylven has failed to live up to his academic obligations and will not play in games for the remainder of the season,” Bennett said. “This is a very difficult decision. Sylven is a fine young man who I deeply care about, but our players need to take personal responsibility for their academic obligations. There are standards and expectations that Sylven and every player in this program now and in the future must uphold. When they are not upheld, there are consequences.
“It’s important for our current and future players to understand it’s a privilege to compete in the ACC and attend one of the finest institutions in the country. My hope is through this action it will help Sylven and the other young men in our program understand the value of a degree from the University of Virginia and the opportunities it provides for life after basketball.”
I really don't see any way possible that he's planning to return to the team after this. And you know what? That grim reality doesn't sting as much as I thought it would.
The team played tough, gritty basketball without him yesterday. I didn't miss Landesberg at all. And the team played better without him.
For next season, the prospect of trying to replace his scoring is a little bit scary... but maybe this will open up the team game a little bit, without that one player to constantly defer to on offense.
Who knows?
I do know one thing: There's no more mystery of where Billy Baron's scholarship will come from. But I don't think Landesberg is going to be the only attrition this program endures this offseason...
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