When the Pitt basketball team tips off the 2014-15 season against Niagara in about 30 minutes, they will do so without a major piece of their team.
Jamie Dixon announced prior to the game that junior forward Durand Johnson will be suspended for the season.
Dixon said in a statement: “Durand will remain with our program and practice. However, he will not compete in any games this season.”
It is not immediately known what has led to the suspension.
Johnson was counted on to be a big part of the Panthers this season as Pitt could really use his scoring, more importantly his outside shooting, especially after the graduation of Lamar Patterson.
It has been a long road back for Johnson, who averaged 8.8 points per game off the Pitt bench last season, as Johnson appeared to make a full recovery from ACL surgery, an injury suffered early on in the ACC season, late in a game against Wake Forest last year at the Petersen Events Center.
Pitt is already without senior guard Cameron Wright, who will miss about 10 games with a foot injury, and will also be without freshman Ryan Luther, who will miss the Panthers’ opener with an unspecified foot injury.
While the Panthers were counting on Johnson this season, they aren’t without options to replace him.
It also means that freshman Cam Johnson will also likely not redshirt this season.
We will have more to this story when news becomes available.
Photo Credit: NCAA
