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By Dan Wolken (Contact)
Saturday, February 9, 2008
University of Memphis coach John Calipari will reinstate junior forward Robert Dozier for today's game against Central Florida after what amounted to a one-game suspension for violating team rules.
Dozier, who will come off the bench today for the No. 1 Tigers, was accused in a report filed with Memphis Police of hitting an ex-girlfriend during a dispute last weekend. No charges have been filed against Dozier, and Calipari said the suspension was not for the alleged incident but rather for being in a nightclub after midnight, which breached the regulations the coach set out before the season began.
Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal
After missing Memphis' game Wednesday against SMU, junior Robert Dozier (facing camera) will return to the No. 1 Tigers today for its game against Conference USA rival UCF. Dozier was suspended a game for being in a Beale Street nightclub after midnight, not for the report filed with Memphis Police.
Dozier, 22, has a good reputation and has not been in trouble before at Memphis, which is one reason why his suspension lasted only one game. Calipari, however, said Dozier would be under the same guidelines as former Tiger Jeremy Hunt, who was kicked off the team after the 2004-05 season but was reinstated a year later.
"It's very cut and dried," Calipari said. "I told the players, 'If you want him here, you better look after him because he's on a contract that's very similar to the impossible one Jeremy was on.'
"Will it happen again? Boy I hope not, but it might, and I'll deal with it again. If it's Robert, it means he won't be a part of our team just like Jeremy."
If nothing else, the events of this week proved how fragile success can be for the Tigers. Before Memphis ascended to the No. 1 ranking on Jan. 21, Calipari practically predicted problems, wondering aloud if his team was mature enough to handle that spotlight.
He even joked about it in the context of his players' previous troubles at the Plush Club on Beale Street, which was the scene of Shawn Taggart's and Jeff Robinson's arrests in September.
On Wednesday, however, it almost seemed a self-fulfilling prophecy when a police report surfaced with accusations that Dozier followed LaParis Woods out of the Plush Club at 3:30 Sunday morning, beginning an altercation that led to her filing a police report later that afternoon.
Woods, 21, has not talked publicly about the incident. Dozier issued an apology after the Tigers' 77-48 victory over SMU on Wednesday, but has not taken questions from reporters about the allegations.
Because charges have not been filed, Calipari's punishment is not based on accusations in the police report. The issue for him is that Dozier went somewhere he wasn't supposed to go at a time he wasn't supposed to be there. Calipari, however, said he wouldn't reinstate the curfew the team operated under for roughly six weeks before the season started.
"Because you're talking one guy," Calipari said. "And they have all talked about it previously, about what they want to do, and without me knowing, they're policing themselves. That's what makes this doubly disappointing."
Policing themselves will be especially important to the Tigers now as they embark on the stretch run of a possible undefeated season. To win a national title will certainly require more self-discipline over the next two months than Dozier displayed last weekend.
"We know we can't be doing bad things," sophomore guard Doneal Mack said. "Rob learned his lesson; he already apologized. I think we'll be OK to the end of this season. We realize what's going on. We know we have the eye on us, so I think our team is going to be smart about it. ... We have to get home before 12 and stay out of the clubs. We know what we have to do."
Calipari said Friday he was confident he's doing the right thing by lifting Dozier's suspension, but added he wouldn't hesitate to dismiss the 6-9 forward if he makes another misstep.
"I call it having money in the bank," Calipari said. "You've got some guys who have absolutely no money in the bank. They have nothing to draw on. And you have other guys, they screw up once, you're not throwing them under the bus. You'd be firm and fair and make him change, and if he doesn't change, you keep going to the level you have to to make him change."
Saturday, February 9, 2008
University of Memphis coach John Calipari will reinstate junior forward Robert Dozier for today's game against Central Florida after what amounted to a one-game suspension for violating team rules.
Dozier, who will come off the bench today for the No. 1 Tigers, was accused in a report filed with Memphis Police of hitting an ex-girlfriend during a dispute last weekend. No charges have been filed against Dozier, and Calipari said the suspension was not for the alleged incident but rather for being in a nightclub after midnight, which breached the regulations the coach set out before the season began.
Mark Weber/The Commercial Appeal
After missing Memphis' game Wednesday against SMU, junior Robert Dozier (facing camera) will return to the No. 1 Tigers today for its game against Conference USA rival UCF. Dozier was suspended a game for being in a Beale Street nightclub after midnight, not for the report filed with Memphis Police.
Dozier, 22, has a good reputation and has not been in trouble before at Memphis, which is one reason why his suspension lasted only one game. Calipari, however, said Dozier would be under the same guidelines as former Tiger Jeremy Hunt, who was kicked off the team after the 2004-05 season but was reinstated a year later.
"It's very cut and dried," Calipari said. "I told the players, 'If you want him here, you better look after him because he's on a contract that's very similar to the impossible one Jeremy was on.'
"Will it happen again? Boy I hope not, but it might, and I'll deal with it again. If it's Robert, it means he won't be a part of our team just like Jeremy."
If nothing else, the events of this week proved how fragile success can be for the Tigers. Before Memphis ascended to the No. 1 ranking on Jan. 21, Calipari practically predicted problems, wondering aloud if his team was mature enough to handle that spotlight.
He even joked about it in the context of his players' previous troubles at the Plush Club on Beale Street, which was the scene of Shawn Taggart's and Jeff Robinson's arrests in September.
On Wednesday, however, it almost seemed a self-fulfilling prophecy when a police report surfaced with accusations that Dozier followed LaParis Woods out of the Plush Club at 3:30 Sunday morning, beginning an altercation that led to her filing a police report later that afternoon.
Woods, 21, has not talked publicly about the incident. Dozier issued an apology after the Tigers' 77-48 victory over SMU on Wednesday, but has not taken questions from reporters about the allegations.
Because charges have not been filed, Calipari's punishment is not based on accusations in the police report. The issue for him is that Dozier went somewhere he wasn't supposed to go at a time he wasn't supposed to be there. Calipari, however, said he wouldn't reinstate the curfew the team operated under for roughly six weeks before the season started.
"Because you're talking one guy," Calipari said. "And they have all talked about it previously, about what they want to do, and without me knowing, they're policing themselves. That's what makes this doubly disappointing."
Policing themselves will be especially important to the Tigers now as they embark on the stretch run of a possible undefeated season. To win a national title will certainly require more self-discipline over the next two months than Dozier displayed last weekend.
"We know we can't be doing bad things," sophomore guard Doneal Mack said. "Rob learned his lesson; he already apologized. I think we'll be OK to the end of this season. We realize what's going on. We know we have the eye on us, so I think our team is going to be smart about it. ... We have to get home before 12 and stay out of the clubs. We know what we have to do."
Calipari said Friday he was confident he's doing the right thing by lifting Dozier's suspension, but added he wouldn't hesitate to dismiss the 6-9 forward if he makes another misstep.
"I call it having money in the bank," Calipari said. "You've got some guys who have absolutely no money in the bank. They have nothing to draw on. And you have other guys, they screw up once, you're not throwing them under the bus. You'd be firm and fair and make him change, and if he doesn't change, you keep going to the level you have to to make him change."
