Scottie Wilbekin, a basketball player at University of Florida, has been suspended for the second time in eight months by Gators coach Billy Donovan for undisclosed reasons. Team spokesman Denver Parler said that Wilbekin has been suspended indefinitely from the team following a violation of team rules.
Due to the ban Wilbekin cannot take part in Florida's current informal workouts. The official practices begin in the Fall, and the university opens the season on Nov. 8 against North Florida.
The 6-foot-2 point guard has averaged 9.1 points and five assists as a junior. He was not available for three games at the start of the 2012-13 season due to his first suspension in November. Wilbekin returned to the team on Nov. 18 against Middle Tennessee. The reason for the first suspension was not revealed either.
He appeared in 35 games for the Gators, with 29 starts.
Wilbekin's position on the team is now threatened, not majorly due to the two suspensions in less than a year, but because of new recruits in the team. The university roped in all-America freshman PG Kasey Hill, who was a top-10 prospective national basketball player. Besides Hill, the only point on the current roster features Rutgers transfer Eli Carter.
In the run-up to Florida's 2103-14 season, the team has suffered huge blows in the point guard department. Apart from Wilbekin, Florida lost Braxton Ogbueze when he opted to transfer out of the university.
