Hoosiers kick Holt off team, discipline Bryant
Indiana coach Tom Crean isn't just talking tough. He's getting tough.
On Monday, the Hoosiers announced sophomore Emmitt Holt had been kicked off the team and prized recruit Thomas Bryant will face internal discipline after being cited for illegal possession of an alcoholic beverage.
For Holt, it was a second strike. In November, he ran into Devin Davis, a former teammate, with his car, leaving Davis with a severe brain injury. Holt was not cited by police, who police determined Davis jumped in front of the car and that both players had been drinking under age.
"Sophomore Emmitt Holt has been dismissed from the men's basketball program effective immediately for demonstrating exceptionally poor judgment in the circumstances surrounding his recent citation, particularly coming after his involvement in the Devin Davis accident which should have motivated him to make better decisions," the strongly-worded two-sentence statement said.
The statement did not specify what punishments Bryant is facing.
Indiana State Excise Police released their report Aug. 24, acknowledging the 19-year-old Holt and 18-year-old Bryant were each found with a bottle of vodka in a parked car outside a local business at about 12:50 a.m. Holt and Bryant, police said, were passengers in the car.
Since word of the most recent legal trouble leaked, outraged fans have expressed dismay over a series of problems -- and not just with the basketball team -- that have resulted in dismissals, suspensions and court dates.
They're not the only ones upset. During an all-staff meeting last week, university President Michael McRobbie told coaches he doesn't want to see any more stories about "repeated" misbehavior and called this recent spate an embarrassment to the university.
Athletic director Fred Glass said he echoed those comments at the meeting.
And during an alumni association-Varsity Club event last week in Indianapolis, a frustrated Crean even questioned the leadership on his team.
"Emmitt should have never put my freshman in that situation," Crean told reporters before apologizing to fans for having to watch this play out in public yet again.
Losing Holt will hurt.
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward averaged 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds last season and showed enough promise he was expected to be a key contributor this year. He won't get a chance to prove it now.
Bryant will. The 6-foot-10, 245-pound McDonald's All-American should give Indiana the strongest inside presence it's had since Cody Zeller left early for the NBA following the 2012-13 season.
But Bryant also finds himself on a short leash.
"As a result of his citation, (Bryant) is receiving internal team discipline and is subject to additional discipline for any future failure to live up to his responsibilities to the program," the statement said.
The problems began when former forward Hanner Mosquera-Perea was arrested on an OWI charge in February 2014.
Since then, guards Kevin "Yogi" Ferrell and Stanford Robinson have been cited for minor consumption of alcohol and possession of false identification, two players were suspended for failed drug tests and there was the Davis-Holt accident.
In May, Davis and Mosquera-Perea were booted off the team after Davis was cited for marijuana possession. Campus police said Mosquera-Perea was present at the time but was not cited.
The football team also has had its share of legal woes.
In April, defensive lineman Ralph Green III was arrested after allegedly slapping a 20-year-old woman. He was charged with misdemeanor battery, public intoxication and disorderly conduct
In May, receiver Isaac Griffith was arrested on a OWI charge with endangerment, and in June, safety Antonio Allen was dismissed after being arrested on drug-dealing charges.
Green and Griffith have been practicing with the football team. Allen was dismissed from the team.