Vandy’s Festus Ezeli Suspended For First Six Games of the Season

This is a general college basketball site, but hey, we all have a team that we root for. The team that I happen to root for is Vanderbilt, which is why this piece of news isn’t one that I wanted to see.

The man who will control the pain for the Commodores this season, Festus Ezeli, has been suspended for the first six games of the season after Vandy self-reported an NCAA violation.

Ezeli reportedly accepted a meal and hotel room from a Vandy alum during a trip over the summer.

I really hate to see this happen to someone like Ezeli, as if you follow this team on a regular basis like I do, you know that he’s an extremely likable guy who plays with a lot of passion on the floor.

Here’s what Ezeli had to say about the violation:

"I am very sorry and would never want to jeopardize my college career over such a petty thing as a meal or a hotel room. I would have been able to afford those things myself. I have always tried to do the right thing; I should have known better and am embarrassed that my mistake could affect my team."

Vandy’s expectations are as high as they’ve ever been heading into the season, so this is somewhat of a deflating start.

Ezeli is in Vandy’s “Big Three” so-to-speak, along with John Jenkins and Jeffery Taylor. All three are expected to be first round picks in the 2012 NBA Draft. So yeah, you can see why most people think this is a Preseason Top 10 team.

But expect Kevin Stallings to figure out a way to keep things flowing well until Ezeli returns.

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