By JACOB POLACHECK
Dedric Lawson, the 6-foot-9 forward from the University of Kansas, has been suspended, following an “altercation” in practice, head coach Bill Self announced Sunday.
Lawson, who will be sitting out the 2017-18 season as a redshirt following his transfer from Memphis, will not be traveling with the Jayhawks to Italy in August. He has not been kicked off the team.
“I’ve suspended Dedric temporarily because of an incident in practice,” KU coach Bill Self said, according to the Topeka Capital-Journal, on Sunday. “An altercation occurred and he didn’t handle it well, and that’s certainly the case with that, (why) I made that decision.”
Lawson averaged 19.2 points and 9.9 boards for Memphis last season. Dedric and his brother K.J., decided to transfer, due to his their inability to get along with head coach Tubby Smith. Earlier this offseason, K.J. was caught on camera cursing out Smith.
According to the Kansas City Star, Self reiterated Sunday that Lawson was only suspended “temporarily.”
“Don’t get me wrong: He’s on the team. He’s in school. He’ll be here whenever school starts and all that,” said Self. “But he’s aware that he didn’t handle the situation well, so he’s been suspended for the trip.”
The team will leave Lawrence early Monday and is scheduled to arrive in Rome on Tuesday morning. Although California transfer Charlie Moore and Memphis transfer KJ Lawson will have to sit out this season, both will be eligible for KU’s exhibition games.
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