Men’s basketball senior guard Leron Fisher was issued a four-game suspension by head coach Jayson Gee for a “violation of team rules,” according a press release by Longwood Athletics on Friday, Nov. 6.
“It is a team-issued suspension for a violation of team rules. We will not have further comment,” said Chris Cook, Longwood Athletics’ assistant VP for athletics communications. The specific ‘violation’ was not stated.
While the exhibition game against Hampden Sydney College on Saturday, Nov. 7 does not technically count towards their season, the game will mark the first of Fisher’s mandated absence. He will also miss the games against Randolph College on Nov. 13, La Roche College on Nov. 16 and South Carolina State on Nov. 20, the first game of the Eastern Kentucky Hoops Classic.
Fisher will regain eligibility for the second game of the Classic against Ball State University.
The release appeared the day before Longwood men’s basketball’s first home exhibition game against Division III Hampden Sydney College.
With this suspension, Longwood will begin their season with five available returners who earned minutes during the 2014-15 season. The off-season has led to the loss of three other returners, not including Leron Fisher.
Senior forward Shaquille Johnson and senior forward Jason Pimentel continue their indefinite suspension from team activity from nearly a month ago on Friday, Oct. 9.
“Shaquille and Jason have not met the standards Longwood expects from its student-athletes,” said Troy Austin, the Longwood director of athletics, in that Oct. 9 release.
Junior forward Damarion Geter is also out for the season as he recovers from surgery for a shoulder injury.
In Gee’s three years as a head coach, there have been at least six separate instances of men’s basketball players facing multi-game suspensions.
This is Fisher’s first instance. Pimentel has been suspended twice, Johnson once. Sophomore forward Victor Dorsey and former starting captain guard Quincy Taylor each added one last year as well.
For five of the six, the department cited violating team rules as the reason for the suspensions.
