From alabama blog.
Just when the Alabama basketball team appeared to turn a corner, three of its top players put the Crimson Tide in unprecedented territory.
Starters JaMychal Green, Trevor Releford and Andrew Steele were sent home from Baton Rouge before today’s 6 p.m., game at LSU. Alabama was already shorthanded without suspended Tony Mitchell, the team’s second-leading scorer.
Saturday’s suspensions, like Mitchell’s, are indefinite. A news release said the actions resulted from violations of team rules.
We are extremely disappointed in the choices and decisions made by these young men that has led to this suspension,” coach Anthony Grant said in a news release. “Talent is a gift, but character is a choice. The consequences of their choices have negatively impacted them as individuals and the people that love and support them. Our hope is that they will be mature enough to accept responsibility for their actions and place a higher value on their character.”
That leaves just three players — freshmen Nick Jacobs, Levi Randolph, and Trevor Lacey — averaging at least 20 minutes of playing time.
This is the complete list of who is available tonight with scoring average:
Trevor Lacey 6.9
Levi Randolph 6.0
Charles Hankerson 5.7
Nick Jacobs 5.6
Moussa Gueye 5.4
Rodney Cooper 2.4
Carl Engstrom 2.0
Ben Eblen 0.3
Dakota Slaughter (walk on hasn’t played this season).
So what will the lineup look like?
F Charles Hankerson 6ppg
F Nick Jacobs, 6-8, Fr., 5.5 ppg., 3.7 rpg.
G Ben Eblen 0.3 ppg
G Levi Randolph, 6-5, Fr., 6.1 ppg., 3.7 rpg.
G Trevor Lacey 6.9 ppg
Grant could always throw Moussa Gueye or Carl Engstrom in there to battle the size of LSU. It’s anyone’s guess at this point.
Alabama (16-7, 5-4 SEC) had momentum and a three-game winning streak after pounding Auburn, 68-50 on Tuesday. LSU (13-10, 3-6 SEC) lost four of its previous five games.