News Flash! Jamar Smith is now out of jail, having served his brief sentence for his DUI conviction. The big question remains, will he play again for the Illini basketball team? Thus far, no comment from Coach Bruce Weber or AD Ron Guenther.
While they need his scoring they don't need his kind of trouble. What turned me negative about Smith is when it was revealed that the car accident was not an isolated drinking incident. Anyone who drinks like Smith has big problems playing a competitive sport like Big Ten basketball. In my opinion, his scholarship should be used to recruit someone else from the Class of 2008.
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
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6 comments:
Give me a break! I know plenty of college students that drank too much in there day. Yes, Smith made a big mistake. Yes, he should be punished.Yes, he should be treated for alcoholism. But his punishment by the Student Senate Judiciary should be no more harsh then any other student.
Here's my problem with Smith. He spends most of the season injured and can't hit anything from outside because of his "ankle injury." Now after the investigation and court process we find out he is an alcoholic. No wonder he can't shoot straight. There are so many high quality basketball players out there, I think this guy needs a new start somewhere else. Just my opinion.
His decrease in shooting % was unlikely from alcohol. He was not drunk at practice or games.
Give me a break. Under the definition of alcoholic that is being used, I would wager over 1/2 the team were alcoholics. Do you think all their scholarships should be revoked too?
Are you so grey haired that you forgot what college students do on the weekends? You really think that has changed?
Now drinking and driving is wrong. The kid made a mistake. But fans need to get off the soap box and come back down to reality
Legal pub,
Not sure how you know his binge drinking did not affect his play. Have you ever consumed a fifth of tequila and tried to play basketball the next morning? Can you spell h-a-n-g-o-v-e-r?
Ron
I suspect that if a player is hung over the staff would know. There are strict drug and alcohol testing policies in effect at U of I.
If you remove Jamar from the team only because of a disease, alcoholism, you have some potential legal issues. Furthermore, if you remove Jamar simply because he used alcohol during the season, then you need to treat the other players in a similar fashion.
As a U of I alum and fan, are you willing to accept the consequences? If you are, perhaps you can go down to IMPE really early on a Saturday morning and select the replacement players from whatever i.m.players that are present and not hung over. I am sure they will be real competitive in the game against Indiana next year.
Legal Pub,
Thanks for your insights on the situation. I realize that if he goes elsewhere, 2007-2008 season becomes even more of a turnaround year. I think with the problems of last year, with alcohol affecting at least three players on the roster, Weber and Guenther will have to be more strict on the issue. I also see that we lead the conference in walk-ons, so I doubt the trip to IMPE is needed. Our walk on team is probably very competitive with other walk-on teams in conference and nation. I am already thinking this year might be a bust, so with lots of offers out to 2008 recruits, Smith's schollie could be useful.
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