Vanderbilt Commodores center Festus Ezeli has been suspended for the first six games of the basketball season for accepting improper benefits from a booster.
Vanderbilt’s Festus Ezeli Suspended Six Games
Vanderbilt Commodores center Festus Ezeli has been suspended for the first six games of the basketball season for accepting improper benefits from a booster.
According to a statement by the school, the senior accepted a meal and hotel room paid for by a Vandy alum while on a trip to visit friends over the summer.
“I am very sorry and would never want to jeopardize my college career over such a petty thing as a meal or a hotel room,” Ezeli said in the statement. “I would have been able to afford those things myself. I have always tried to do the right thing; I should have known better and am embarrassed that my mistake could affect my team.”
Ezeli, who is being projected as a first-round NBA draft pick, started all 34 games last season and set the school’s single-season record for blocks with 87. He averaged 13 points and 6.3 rebounds and led Vandy to a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Nigerian native will miss some significant games for the Commodores. They open the season against the Oregon Ducks and the suspension includes the four games of the TicketCity Legends Classic, which will pit the team against North Carolina State and either Texas or Oregon State.
For more on Vanderbilt, visit Commodore blog Anchor of Gold.
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