Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Lucas-Perry dismissed from basketball team
Flint native was
expected to take on
larger role with
inexperienced team
By TIM ROHAN
Daily Sports Writer
After the recent . departures of
Manny Harris and DeShawn Sims -
the Wolverines two leading scorers
last season - the Michigan basketball
team was already in question for next
season.
But as Michigan coach John Beilein
announced on June 30, the Wolver-
ines are going to be missing another
regular starter next year as well.
Redshirt-junior guard Laval Lucas-
Perry was dismissed from the basket-
ball program for a violation of team
rules.
"The University of Michigan and
our men's basketball program has
established expectations essential to
the success of all students and ath-
letes," Beilein said in a press release.
"These university and team standards
have been clearly communicated
to the team and Laval on numerous
occasions through meetings, confer-
ences and mentorship.
"Unfortunately, Laval has violated
our team standards. Therefore, I have
decided that he will no longer be a
part of our basketball program. Given
the fact that Laval is near the comple-
tion of his degree, he has been extend-
ed the offer to remain on scholarship
for the 2010-11 academic year and
graduate in May with our 2011 class."
Lucas-Perry started all but 10
games last season, but struggled to
shoot well from behind the arc. He
shot 29 percent from 3-point range,
despite his reputation as a sharp-
shooter.
In his first full season playing for
Beilein after transferring from Ari-
zona, he averaged 4.8 points and 2.3
rebounds in 21 minutes per game.
His career numbers at Michigan
weren't overly impressive - in his 58
"Unfortunately,
Laval has
violated our
team standards."
career games at Michigan, he aver-
aged 5.6 points per game - but Lucas-
Perry was a veteran player on what is
expected to be a young and inexperi-
enced team next year.
The 6-foot-3 guard from Flint start-
ed his collegiate career at Arizona. He
decided to transfer to Michigan after
his first semester at the school, and
due to NCAA regulations, had to sit
out the rest of the season at Arizona
5AMANTHA TRAUBEN/Day
Former Michigan men's basketball guard Laval Lucas-Perry averaged 5.6 painls yer game under couch John teilein.
and the fall 2008 semester with Mich- His career as a Wolverine couldn't Perry told the Daily after the Oakland
igan - Lucas-Perry played just five have started much better, though. In game. "I just went out there and just
games for the Wildcats, his debut on Dec. 20, 2008 against got my shot going. Three hundred
"It wasn't anything in particular Oakland, he scored 14 points and shot and sixty five days is a long time, and
about Arizona," Lucas-Perry told the 4-of-6 from behind the arc. Lucas- I think I was ready for this moment."
Michigan Daily. "It was just me not Perry scored in double digits in his After being released from the
feeling comfortable there. I was just first six games at Michigan. Michigan program, Lucas-Perry's
trying to find somewhere comfort- "I'm a shooter, and shooters shoot basketball future is still uncertain as
able, where I can be nmyself." the ball well and they create," Lucas- of now.
New assistants hope to foster winning environment
Bacari Alexander and
LaVall Jordan bring
extensive basketball
knowledge to 'M'
By CHANTEL JENNINGS
Daily Sports Writer
After the Michigan men's basket-
ball team's mediocre 15-17 record
this past season, coach John Beilein
recently added two new assistant
coaches to assist second-year assistant
coach, Jeff Meyer.
With the recent appointment of
Bacari Alexander and LaVall Jordan,
the team hopes to have a fresh, new
direction as it looks to bounce back
from a lackluster season, a year fol-
lowing the Wolverines' first NCAA
Tournament appearance since 1998.
In Jordan's first year as assistant
coach with Butler in 2004, the Bull-
dogs were 13-15 overall and 7-9 in the
Horizon League. But by the time Jor-
dan left the Bulldogs in 2007, Butler
finished the season 29-7 and made it to
the second round of the NCAA Tour-
nament.
Originally from Albion, Jordan
played basketball at Butler where he
was a standout guard, helping the
Bulldogs to four post-season appear-
ances, three NCAA Tournaments and
one NIT Tournament.
After college, Jordan played over-
seas and in the National Basketball
Developmental League but saw signif-
icant differences between the college
game and the professional playing
field.
"Something I loved as a player
was just the details of the game and I
wanted to go on and play as long as I
Jordan returned to Butler to work
as Coordinator of Basketball Opera-
tions in 2003. After just one season,
he was promoted to assistant coach
where he stayed for three seasons
before moving to Iowa with Butler
head coach Todd Licklite. For three
seasons he worked as an assistant
coach with the Hawkeyes before trad-
ing in his old gold for maize.
"This thing isn't about us," Jordan
said. "We have our part and our job
is to put our signature on our little
chapter of the entire Michigan story,
so that's how I look at it. Because of
the tradition, because of the history,
because of the standard that's been
set before us, for us to recapture it and
carry on what others have done."
Along with Jordan, Alexander will
also hope to bring his past playing and
coaching experience to Ann Arbor,
See COACHES, Page 12
ARIELBOND/Daly
Michigan men's basketball coach John Beilein added two assistants to his coaching staff.
could," Jordan said. "Once you get into enjoying the team and the teammates
that, it's a little more individualized, and coming together and winning at
it's a little more about you. a high level, so that was something I
"For me, that wasn't as much fun as enjoyed and wanted to get back to."