Tyler Smith Dismissed from Tennessee Basketball
by Will Shelton on Jan 8, 2010 1:07 PM EST
in Tennessee Volunteer Basketball
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PrintThe fallout from the January 1 arrests of four Tennessee Basketball players has hit Vol senior Tyler Smith the hardest: the university announced today that Smith has been dismissed from the program. Smith was believed to face the the greatest charges in the arrest, dealing with possession of a firearm with an altered serial number.
Statements today from Bruce Pearl suggest that the investigation continues for Cameron Tatum, Brian Williams, and Melvin Goins. All three remain indefinitely suspended and will not play on Sunday when the Vols host #1 Kansas.
From Bruce Pearl's statement (which can be found at the above link):
"I am deeply troubled and saddened. Playing basketball at the University of Tennessee is a privilege, and where conduct is displayed that is detrimental to the team and the University, this discipline is required. Tyler has accomplished a great deal and we are all disappointed his playing career at the University of Tennessee will end this way. However, it is my hope that someday soon he will return to the University and complete his degree."
And Tyler Smith has also released a statement:
"First, I want to thank the University of Tennessee, the UT Athletic Department and the basketball program for my support here. This place is a family for me and I look forward to a long relationship with this team and program as I go on in life.
I am truly sorry for my actions in the recent case that everyone is familiar with. From the beginning, I have accepted responsibility for my actions and what I have been charged with, and I am very sorry that my decisions have affected Brian, Cam and Melvin.
One day soon I hope I can finish the 12 classes that I need for my degree. My recent actions do not reflect who I am and I can only hope that what I do in the future can make everyone believe in me again."
It's the end of a long and winding road for Smith at UT. He came as a hardship transfer from Iowa, to be closer to his ailing father, who eventually passed away. Smith was originally a Buzz Peterson recruit, but played well immediately for Bruce Pearl in the Vols' 2007-08 SEC Championship season.
Tyler Smith isn't one of these guys that gets kicked off the team and we all say good riddance. Smith made very real contributions here - he scored the last second game winning bucket against Ole Miss in the Vols' SEC home opener in 2008, and hit the final two huge shots to give the Vols the lead in the 1 vs. 2 game at Memphis a month later. Last season he was an All-SEC performer that recorded the first triple-double in the history of the program. He elected to stay in school this season to play one more year for the Vols instead of testing the NBA waters, an opportunity one wonders if he's now tarnished.
How well the Vols will ultimately fare without him remains to be seen. And Smith is ultimately responsible for his own actions. But this an unfortunate result for both the program and Tyler Smith.
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Also, Smith's attorney Don Bosch says:
"I hope and believe that the misdemeanor cases against him will be resolved quickly and consistent with the thousands of other true first offenders in Knox County. We have no further comments at this time." (from KNS)
Interesting that he was the only one...
so far. I’m sure he confessed to owning the guns. It’s an interesting comment by Don Bosch. It doesn’t look like he will fight the charges, but instead, seek probation and a diversionary program or something.
If they let any one of the other players back, they would have to explain the whole story… which I am very interested to hear
FYI
I’ll be on The Sports Animal in about two minutes to talk about all this, and they’re also having the Kansas play by play man on after me to talk about Sunday.
Truly
sad story. Hate it for Tyler and his family.
Kentucky bretheren united once again! Thanks Cal!
Heartbreaking for sure
RIP Steve McNair (1973 - 2009) Retire #9!
by Pride of the Southland on Jan 8, 2010 2:12 PM EST up reply actions
i hate it
but it had to be done. i hope he cleans up his act and i wish him success the rest of the way.
lot sadder stories then this everyday
this was someone who has been handed the keys to his future and almost pissed it away. I’m sure he’ll end up in the NBA and making his millions, and in the end I believe he deserves a second chance, but I don’t feel bad for him at this moment.
Every player should be accorded the privilege of at least one season with the Chicago Cubs. That's baseball as it should be played - in God's own sunshine. And that's really living."
I hate it forTyler
but I think its the right decision. Hopefully Tyler can clean up his act, and get a shot in the NBA. I think the move had to be made though, and it shows that we don’t go easy on our better players.
It's simple Cubs in the spring and summer, Vols in the fall and winter.
Very Sad
The fact that he was man enough to admit his mistake and apologize publicly makes this whole incident even sadder. I’m not saying that his apology should have allowed him to stay on at UT, but I do think it shows us how sorry he is for this grievous mistake. We have not received similar statements of contrition from numerous other players who have been dismissed, and I’m thankful that Smith felt that he owed us one. I hope he does finish up his degree and goes on to become a stand-up member of the NBA. Furthermore, I hope this serves as a lesson to other current and future athletes that no star (and Tyler was among the biggest at UT) is above the law.
So Sayth King Zach I
Good of him to man up
And good of him to say that he wants to finish his degree. I do hope he uses any second chance he has, but I really can’t find it in me to feel “sad” for him. I am glad that he isn’t fighting these charges, and that he is accepting his punishment for his actions. That is good to see.
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
Sorry but I do say "good riddance"
He played well for us and had a heart-wrenching story with the passing of his father, but this kind of stupidity makes me angry enough to say, “good riddance”. Too many of us worked hard for our degrees to have the reputation of our school soiled by Mr. Smith’s actions. (Same deal for the football thugs that are doing something else now). I
wish I’d had the athletic ability to play college athletics and get my degree for free. I know I would not have thrown away my chance at millions in the NBA for a joint and a joy ride. I surely did some stupid things growing up, but not when the costs were that high (pardon the pun).
Let’s hope Mr. Smith recovers personally and wish him well in the future, but I do think it is good riddance from the team, based on his actions. Get a degree, a job and be a good father.
save the holier than thou crap
people make mistakes, get punished, and hopefully learn from them. such is life. who gives a damn what you think you would have done in a completely hypothetical situation? does it make you feel better about yourself to come on here and talk about how much more deserving you are of the good fortune you never received and he did?
The Dual Threat, Official Enforcer/Stat Geek of MCM.
by hal41605 on Jan 8, 2010 9:09 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Tyler Smith is a role model to people
But, on January 1st, he did not live up to the responsibilities of that position. Yes, we can claim that we would do something different, because likely we have. I am glad Tyler is off the team, not because I hate him and wish him ill, but because I want my team to stand for something more than Tyler’s tarnished reputation. He’ll have to earn it back the very, very hard way, with me, but I do honestly hope that he will.
Tennessee Fans: We win at teh Internet!
by bobo_the_vol on Jan 8, 2010 10:39 PM EST up reply actions
i don't disgaree with you
but the “if i could dunk and was headed to the nba, i would still be a choir boy” drivel rubbed me the wrong way. not only is that type of self-promoting judgment completely speculative, but it ignores the fact that fame and (impending) fortune changes people in the vast majority of cases. you never know how that stuff will affect you until it happens. the fact that tyler smith is/was a role model for tens, if not hundreds of thousands of complete strangers only highlights how different his life experience is from all of ours.
i’m not trying to say what he did wasn’t wrong. i totally agree that the guns are a deal breaker and honestly they all should be gone unless it’s clear the other three were clueless about the guns a la janzen jackson, which i seriously doubt. however, i definitely disagree that anyone on here can say with any sort of certainty what they would do if they were a star athlete, because none of us are. part of being a modern human is being inherently imperfect and egotistical, and the hero worship athletes receives only amplifies those qualities in all but exceptional cases. arrogance and feeling untouchable are certainly not good qualities, but they seem to be fairly common human failings which tyler obviously succumbed to. i hope for nothing but the best in his future as he tries to redeem himself, but if the guns are his, he clearly had to go.
The Dual Threat, Official Enforcer/Stat Geek of MCM.
Your points are good.
I agree with you that it’s impossible to say what we would or wouldn’t do in a given situation. We can only say what we think we would do, or hope we would do. I’ve learned this through painful experience!
"It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone." A. Bartlett Giamatti
You misread my comment
I credit his good play and the sadness of his personal situation. It makes me angry that he would throw it all away with guns and drugs.
Tyler admits the same regret. It is good riddance that Bruce doesn’t put up with this from his star player and it’s also great that UT takes a different approach than other schools on the same issue (um, Florida). It is sad that Tyler threw away a shot at the NBA away on a stupid joy-ride decision.
I would not have done the same thing with what he had at stake.
Since it is still a free country, I have the right to express this opinion. If you don’t care, then don’t respond.
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