On Friday, Oct. 14, senior center Kenny Frease was suspended
indefinitely from the Xavier men’s basketball team.
Frease averaged 11.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game
during his junior season. Frease is Xavier’s largest player
at seven-foot tall and 269 pounds.
Frease came to Xavier as a freshman ranked
55th on ESPNU’s Top 100 with a grade of
95, a higher ranking than fellow Xavier senior
Tu Holloway at 100.
Frease was suspended indefinitely by
head coach Chris Mack on the first day of
practice for “failing to fulfill the responsibilities
of a Xavier basketball player.”
“Kenny has not handled his daily responsibilities
on and off the playing floor that we expect
from every one of our players here at Xavier,” said
Mack. “Until Kenny proves to me that he wants to be a
part of our team by handling those responsibilities, he will not be a part of our program. I am hopeful that Kenny will work his way back to being a part of this team at some point.”
Frease was a pre-season pick for the Atlantic 10 Conference Second Team. Last season, Frease was an All-Atlantic 10 Conference Honorable Mention selection and was named A-10 Rookie of the Week during January of his freshman year at Xavier. The seven-footer was the first to receive this honor since Stanley Burrell during the 2004-05 season.
Most of Frease’s career highs came from his junior season, including his career high of 22 points against Wake Forest as well as 18 rebounds against Wofford.
Frease is expected to return as a member of the team once Mack feels that he is fulfilling his duties and responsibilities as a Musketeer.