Chris Mack only needed nine days to teach Kenny Frease a lesson.
The Xavier coach indefinitely suspended his 7-foot center on Oct. 14 for what he termed “not fulfilling all the responsibilities of a Xavier basketball player.” Frease “had to prove” he wanted to be part of the team, so Mack’s message apparently didn’t need much time to sink in.
Frease was reinstated Sunday. He didn’t miss any games, just Musketeer Madness, which was held Saturday.
“I’m sure it was tough,” Mack told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “Obviously I didn’t take it lightly from the beginning. It’s one of those things you have to learn the hard way as a player, and hopefully the behavior won’t be an issue moving forward. Kenny is setting his sights on the future and being part of the team.”
I figured if Mack was making a statement, Frease would miss a few games, but the big man clearly didn’t do anything serious. He probably couldn’t pass the team’s fitness test. Nothing’s needed for that except a little public embarrassment. Apparently.
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