by Bill DiFilippo / @bflip33
One day after Notre Dame blew an 8-point lead in the final minute and lost to to 3rd ranked Ohio State, the Irish learned that they will be without their top scorer for the rest of the year.
Junior guard Jerian Grant, who led the Irish with 19 points, 6.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game this season, announced on the team’s website that due to an academic issue he is no longer enrolled at Notre Dame and will miss the remainder of the season.
From The Journal Gazette:
In a statement addressed to the Notre Dame Community, Grant said, “It is with regret and sorrow that I inform you that I am no longer enrolled at the University of Notre Dame due to an academic matter that I did not handle properly. As a result, I am no longer part of the basketball program and will not be on the court competing with my teammates for the remainder of the 2013-14 season.”
The senior said in the statement that he plans to return to Notre Dame “as soon as possible following the 2014 spring semester.”
Grant did not play as a freshman and could return to the Irish, if he is readmitted to the university. The preseason first-team Atlantic Coast Conference selection entered this season with speculation that he could leave after this year to enter the NBA draft.
This is a huge blow for the Irish and their tournament aspirations. The team is 8-4 on the season and has one more game before it kicks off its conference schedule against 8th ranked Duke.
