Duke junior guard Rasheed Sulaimon was officially "dismissed" from the team earlier today, according to Coach Mike Krzyzewski. Sulaimon is currently in good academic standing with the school and is still slated to complete the spring semester. On top of that, Sulaimon hadn't been punished (publicly) at any point this season.
So why did he get kicked off the team? We don't know. Coach K and his staff are pretty good at keeping stuff like that on the inside. For what it's worth, Krzyzewski did give a very vague explanation, saying:
"Rasheed has been unable to consistently live up to the standards required to be a member of our program. It is a privilege to represent Duke University and with that privilege comes the responsibility to conduct oneself in a certain manner. After Rasheed repeatedly struggled to meet the necessary obligations, it became apparent that it was time to dismiss him from the program.”
It would appear (at least from the outside) that things escalated quickly, as less than a week ago Sulaimon posted the following message on Twitter after Krzyzewksi's 1000th career win:
Thus far this season, Sulaimon, in a reserve role, had been averaging 7.5 PPG alongside 2.0 RPG and 1.8 APG. All three represent career lows, likely due to a sizable decrease in playing time. Last year he was criticized for "pouting" and not celebrating along with his teammates whilst riding the bench.
Just two seasons ago the Houston native was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team.
The move does represent an unfortunate first in Coach K's 35-year-tenure at Duke as (according to ESPN) Sulaimon is the first player kicked out of the program for disciplinary reasons during that span. According to the Herald Sun, Sulaimon is the first player kicked off Duke period since Andre Sweet was let go for academic shortcomings mid-campaign in 2001.
[via The Herald Sun]
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com
