Virginia men's basketball coach Pete Gillen announced yesterday that sophomore guard Keith Jenifer has been suspended indefinitely for "conduct detrimental to the team." He has been charged by local police with assault and battery.
Jenifer will not participate in games or practices for the duration of the suspension, the length of which has yet to be decided.
Jenifer has started 14 games this year for the Cavaliers (12-7, 3-4 ACC), and has played in all 19 games. He has led the team in assists 17 of the 19 games. and is the team's season leader in assists with 104 (5.5 assist per game). Jenifer has averaged 5.6 points per game and 3.5 rebounds per game this season.
The loss of the guard comes at a crucial point in the season, with the Cavaliers slated to face Maryland, NC State and Duke within the next two weeks.
Jenifer also was suspended for Virginia's first exhibition game of the season, along with teammates and fellow sophomores Jason Clark and Jermaine Harper, for violating team rules. The Jenifer returned to action for the next exhibition game, scoring four points and dishing out four assists in a 73-57 victory over the One World All-Stars.
Jenifer was faced with the challenge of increased minutes at the point guard position while Harper served an additional suspension. The guard struggled early in the season, shooting 0-7 from the field in the Cavalier's season opener, a win over Long Island.He went on, however, to show consistent improvement until the Cavaliers' Jan. 21 loss to Virginia Tech. Jenifer dished out seven assists while committing six turnovers in the defeat, and lost his starting spot to junior Todd Billet. Billet and red-shirt junior Majestic Mapp likely will combine for most of Jenifer's minutes while he is suspended.
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