J.R. Raymond Dismissed From Sooner Basketball Team

Feb. 25, 2001

NORMAN, Okla. - University of Oklahoma men's basketball Head Coach Kelvin Sampson announced this evening that junior point guard J.R. Raymond has been dismissed from the team due to a violation of team policy. Raymond, who was suspended from the squad by Sampson for an indefinite amount of time on Thursday, did not travel with the Sooners this weekend for Saturday's 68-60 loss at Maryland.

"After reviewing the situation over the past couple of days," said Sampson, "I have decided to remove J.R. from our team. He violated team policy and I have concluded that dismissal is the appropriate response on my part. I am not going to address the reason for the decision. That is between J.R. and myself. The rest of the team has been made aware of the decision. Although the team is disappointed that J.R. will not be with us for the conclusion of the season, the players and my staff are anxious for the opportunity to continue the success that we have experienced throughout the year."

Raymond, who ranked fourth on the team with his 11.3 scoring average, had been OU's main offensive threat over his last 10 games since he was moved to point guard Jan. 20. His 13.7 points per conference outing were a team high.

The Sooners have posted a 9-1 record in their last 10 league games with the help of Raymond's 18.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 3.9 three-pointers per contest. He led the team in scoring in six of those 10 outings. Thirty-nine of his 58 treys (67 percent) came during the span, as did 185 of his 282 points (66 percent). He finished the season with a .400 three-point percentage.

A native of Gastonia, N.C., Raymond was a member of last year's Big 12 All-Newcomer Team when he averaged 13.4 points, 3.4 assists and 1.4 steals as a sophomore. He also made 95 three-pointers, the second highest total in OU single-season history.

Sampson said sophomore Hollis Price, who played all 40 minutes Saturday at the point versus Maryland, will continue to start at the position. Price was OU's starting point guard in its first 16 games this season and has led the squad in assists in 21 of its 27 contests. Senior guard Kelley Newton is also expected to remain in the starting lineup after making his first start Saturday since Jan. 6. Newton, who was 4-for-8 from three-point range against the Terrapins, has made a team-high 61 three-pointers (averaging 2.3 per game) and is averaging 9.1 points per contest on the season.

The Sooners are 21-6 overall and are tied with Kansas and Texas for second place in the Big 12 with a 10-4 mark, one game behind first-place Iowa State. Ranked 17th in the ESPN/USA Today top-25 poll released today, OU concludes the regular season with home games versus Colorado (Wednesday at 8 p.m.) and Oklahoma State (Saturday at 8 p.m.).

University of Oklahoma Athletics

J.R. Raymond Dismissed From Sooner Basketball Team

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