After several inquiries from The Rotunda and other local media outlets, Chris Cook, the assistant vice president of athletics communication, released a statement on Wednesday, Feb. 10 from Longwood’s third-year men’s basketball head coach Jayson Gee regarding the absence of senior guard Leron Fisher and freshman forward Chris Shields. Neither have played since the team’s home loss against UNC Asheville on Dec. 31, the Lancers have 4-6 in conference games since the game and ranked eighth
“At my discretion, I have held Leron Fisher and Chris Shields out of game competition for failing to uphold the standards of our program. I plan to keep them on the bench until the issue is resolved,” said Gee in Wednesday’s statement.
When contacted for clarification on Thursday, Feb. 11, if this period of missed competition can be considered a suspension, Cooks said Longwood athletics “will decline further comment at this time.”
With this coaching decision, Fisher and Shields become the sixth and seventh players to miss multiple games based on team rules during Gee’s three years as head coach.
This marks Fisher’s second extended period on the bench this season. He was suspended for the season’s first four games for “a violation of team rules,” according to Gee in a press release on Nov. 6.
That same day Cook stated, “It is a team-issued suspension for a violation of team rules. We will not have further comment.” The specific violation has not been identified.
These two infractions have caused Fisher to miss 14 games during his senior season.
This is Shields’ first issue at Longwood, occurring in his first Division I season out of Fishburne Military Academy in Waynesboro, Va. He has appeared in 14 games.
Both players will also miss the tonight’s game at Winthrop on Thursday, Feb. 11, according to Cook in the Feb. 10 email.
Fisher and Shields averaged considerable minutes prior to being held from competition; Fisher with just over 28 and Shields with 21 per game. In those minutes, Fisher averaged 9.6 points per game and Shields added 6.6.
With the addition of Fisher and Shields, four separate men’s basketball players have faced punishment after failing to follow team rules this year.
Senior guard Shaquille Johnson and former senior forward Jason Pimentel faced indefinite suspension a month before the season began.
In an Oct. 9 press release, Longwood Director of Athletics Troy Austin stated, “Shaquille and Jason have not met the standards Longwood expects from its student-athletes. They will be removed from team activities while we review this matter.”
Those suspensions came three days after both players were initially charged by the Farmville Police Department being charged with unlawful possession of marijuana, a class one misdemeanor. Johnson’s charge was later amended to entering property with the intent to damage.
The punishment turned into a 10-game suspension for Johnson as he returned to the floor on Dec. 12 against Richmond. Pimentel’s charge remained unchanged and on Wednesday, Dec. 2, the Longwood athletics department announced Pimentel would not return to the team.
Pimentel had previously faced a 25-game suspension in the 2014-2015 season after an initial charge of sexual battery on Feb. 2, 2015, which he was found guilty of in Prince Edward County District Court, and later exonerated of in Prince Edward County Circuit Court on Oct. 1, 2015.
In the past three years, there have been seven separate instances of players missing competition after not following team rules. Fisher and Pimentel have been benched twice. Johnson, Shields, and redshirt-sophomore forward Victor Dorsey each add one.
Outside of team-declared violations, former guard Quincy Taylor was deemed ineligible by the NCAA for the first three games of the 2014-2015 season after participating in three games not sanctioned by the association.
The team has six games remaining before the Big South men’s basketball postseason tournament begins on Mar. 3.
Related Story - Lancers currently down five players
Senior guard Leron Fisher (No. 1) and freshman forward Chris Shields (No. 30) continue to watch from the sidelines after not "upholding the standards" of the men's basketball program, according to head coach Jayson Gee a press release on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
Senior guard Leron Fisher (No. 1) and freshman forward Chris Shields (No. 30) continue to watch from the sidelines after not "upholding the standards" of the men's basketball program, according to head coach Jayson Gee a press release on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
