James Southerland has been declared ineligible because of an NCAA investigation into academic standards at Syracuse, Mike Waters of the Post-Standard reported on Thursday.
Southerland missed SU’s game against Villanova on Saturday because of the issue. the Orange went on to win that game 72-61. SU plays No. 1 Louisville on Saturday.
Syracuse declined to comment further on the suspension, citing federal privacy laws.
» Related: What the loss of Southerland means for Syracuse
Waters said sources had confirmed that there were two suspensions. One centered around Southerland receiving improper benefits of approximately $70. That was cleared up before Southerland missed any time.
The second and most current suspension revolves around whether a term paper was written by a tutor.
The senior was averaging 13.2 points and 5.2 rebounds as SU’s sixth man.
Last year, center Fab Melo missed three games during the regular season and the entire NCAA tournament due to eligibility issues.
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