Iowa State defeated North Dakota State 73-71 on Saturday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum. The big news of the day broke after the game when head coach Greg McDermott announced to the media that freshman point guard Chris Colvin had been suspended until some time in the month of February.
Above is a CycloneFanatic.com video interview with Colvin that took place after the game.
Below, is what McDermott said to the media about the situation.
On the suspension…
I have suspended Chris until February. When in February is up to Chris. Whether it is February 3 or February 23, that will be up to him and his actions between now and then. Chris has been disrespectful to our coaching staff, he has disrespected his teammates and in my opinion, he doesn’t realize what a privilege it is to wear an Iowa State uniform. Until he learns that, he won’t wear it. That is the bad news. The good news is I believe that through the different incidents that have taken place that Chris has grown up. I have been impressed with his actions over the last 48 hours, his sincerity, his ability to convince me, my staff and his teammates that he really, really wants to be a part of this team. That is why the suspension is as long as it is, cause I wanted to find out whether he was sincere about how bad he wanted to remain on this team. Obviously, we are a better team with Chris Colvin because he is a very talented player. I think that he can have a great career at Iowa State. My hope is that because of this experience, he will grow and become even a better leader, a better person and a better player. It has been a tough couple of days for me, for my staff and for our team, and certainly for Chris and his family. But I want to put it behind us. I want to comment on it now and Chris is going to talk to you when we’re done. And then we need to move on. That is what the team wants to do. That is what Chris wants to do. If his actions the last couple of days are any indication, I think he is sincere about really wanting to be a part of this program. He has got to learn what being a Cyclone means.
On his reasoning… I got in this profession because I love to coach basketball and I love to help young people grow. If winning every gets in the way of that, then I’ve got to get out of it. This young man needs to grow up and if it costs me a couple of wins along the way, then so be it. He is going to be better and I am going to sleep better because of that. That is why I do what I do. It was probably my fault that I let him go down the road too far early in the season. I probably bit my tongue a few times when I shouldn’t have. But we are where we are today and I am ready to move on.
