NASHVILLE (Feb. 10, 2012) – Senior guard Jordan Burgason has been dismissed from the men’s basketball team for violating team rules, Lipscomb Athletic Director Philip Hutcheson announced today.
The violation has also led to his dismissal from the university.
“I love Jordan and wish him nothing but the absolute best,” said Hutcheson. “But he broke university rules that he knew he was breaking. We had clearly advised him, and he was aware of the consequences of making a bad decision.”
A 6-foot-3 guard from Ames, Iowa, Burgason owns Lipscomb’s NCAA-era record for three-pointers with 282. This season, Burgason averaged 16.4 points and made 71 of 135 three-point shots for a 52.6 percent shooting average, making him third in the nation in this category. He led the Bison in three-point shooting, having made nine three-pointers in games against Iowa State and ETSU this season. Burgason finished with 1,132 career points and ranked No. 35 on Lipscomb’s all-time scoring list. Burgason was named the preseason No. 24 shooter in the nation by CBSSports.com.
“I want to thank Lipscomb for the unbelievable opportunity that it has given me,” said Burgason. “The whole university has showed so much grace to me. But despite that, my actions have not shown a respect for the university and its policies, and for that I am sorry. I’ll never forget the memories that I’ve made here. Thank you for the love and support that everyone has shown throughout my time here. You will always be family to me.”
Burgason was suspended earlier in the season for conduct violations and missed the first two weeks of the regular season schedule. When Burgason rejoined the team, Head Coach Scott Sanderson told The City Paper that the team and Burgason had moved past the issue.
The Bison (11-13, 6-6) start their Florida road trip this weekend, playing Stetson (8-16, 5-8) on Saturday and Florida Gulf Coast (12-12, 7-6) on Monday. The two games will play a crucial role in determining not only Lipscomb’s seeding but also its eligibility in the Atlantic Sun tournament. Currently, Lipscomb sits seventh in the conference standings, one spot ahead of Stetson. Florida Gulf Coast is ranked fifth.
All stats are current as of Feb. 10, 2012.
Photo courtesy of LipscombSports.com