Update: Allen and Greenberg Respond to Suspension
The Virginia Tech Hokies mens basketball team will be without starting forward and super freshman Jeff Allen for its next two games after being suspended by ACC Commissioner John Swofford.
During Saturday’s road loss to Georgia Tech, Allen fouled out of the game with 4:32 to play in the second half. As he walked toward the Hokies’ bench, he intentionally stuck his right elbow out to bump a referee, who immediately gave Allen a technical foul and ejected him from the game. Watch the YouTube highlights here.
Swofford handed down the suspension yesterday, Jan. 20. Allen will miss Thursday night’s home game against Duke (1/24) and Saturday’s road game against Boston College (1/26).
Allen’s absence will leave a big hole for the Hokies to fill. The freshman is the team’s second leading score with 12.8 points a game and has started all 18 games so far this season. I’m not sure who will take his spot, but I would imagine Deron Washington will see more time in the low post, which means we will likely see three freshman in the lineup for a good portion of the next two games.
Defensively, sophomore Lewis Witcher and junior Cheick Diakite can fill the void and the size Allen’s absence creates, but neither can score. That’s where Washington will likely be relied upon.
Either way, it doesn’t look good for Seth Greenberg’s team for the next two games, especially against Duke. Anything can happen, but it probably won’t. I hope Allen has learned his lesson.
