Waldon, Brown suspended

Academic suspensions will keep forwards B.B. Waldon and Kelvin Brown from participating in the USF basketball team’s opening exhibition game. Waldon will miss the Bulls’ Nov. 1 game vs. Siauliai-Lithuania, while Brown will miss that game as well as the Nov. 8 game against St. Leo. The regular season starts for the Bulls Nov. 19 against Fordham.

“The players’ failure to fulfill team academic expectations and responsibilities put forth by the basketball staff” were the reasons for the suspensions, according to Bulls coach Seth Greenberg.

Coming out of Dillard High School, Brown has been a member of the last two Class 6A champions. Recruiting expert Bob Gibbons rated the 6-foot-7 forward as one of the 60 best prospects in the 2001 class. During his senior campaign, Brown averaged 17 points and 14 rebounds, in addition to being named the Most Valuable Player of the state tournament.

“When I was recruited out of high school by Coach Greenberg, I understood that he had confidence in me not just on the basketball court but in the classroom as well,” Brown said. “To this point, I have not lived up to the confidence that he has shown in me or my academic responsibilities.”

Suspensions are nothing new for Waldon. He missed an exhibition game in 1999 for missing a practice and last season was suspended four games for conduct “unacceptable for a member of the basketball program,” later reported to be the result of a failed drug test. In those four games, the Bulls went 2-2, including a loss to Tulane, which was 8-12 at the time with no Conference USA wins.

In 2000-01, Waldon averaged 17 points and a team-high seven rebounds as the Bulls finished the season 18-13. Waldon is the fifth all-time leading scorer in C-USA history.

“I returned to USF for my senior year to improve athletically but to also get my degree,” Waldon said. “I have not been focused academically as I should be and have to work hard to remedy the situation.”