The LSU men’s basketball team suffered a setback Tuesday when head coach John Brady announced sophomore guard Tony Gipson will sit out the remainder of the 2002-2003 season.
Gipson was a spark plug off the bench for the Tigers but did not meet the academic requirements to continue the season. The 6-foot-1-inch guard has not yet chosen a major.
“Our coaching staff, along with[Executive Director] Roger Grooters in the Academic Center worked with Tony, but we came up short in all our efforts in one class,” Brady said. “Tony realizes what he did not do and takes responsibility for that, but he is a very capable student. We are looking forward to him being a participant of our team the next two years.”
The Farmerville native averaged 4.5 points in his 9 minutes per game and scored a team-high 14 points in last Wednesday’s matchup against Centenary.
Brady is proud to boast of LSU’s academic accomplishments, including the distinction of being the only Division I basketball team with a Ph.D. and graduate school student as a starter.
“In spite of these successes, sometimes a student-athlete doesn’t do what is required,” Brady said. “With the support, knowledge, help and guidance Tony Gipson received, he was not able to meet the necessary requirements.”
Gipson averaged 25 points per game last season at Panola Junior College, and he is the younger brother of former Arkansas standout Teddy Gipson. He was unavailable for comment.