(03-17) 16:10 PDT -- A Cal team that is light on size will play in the NCAA Tournament without starting power forward Omondi Amoke.
Bears head coach Mike Montgomery announced Wednesday morning that the 6-foot-7 sophomore has been suspended indefinitely from the team for a violation of team rules. No specifics on the nature of the violation were given.
Comments and TrackBacks Amoke has started 14 games and averages 4.6 rebounds and 4.8 points.
He had 15 rebounds in an early-season loss to Ohio State.
Cal will likely insert guard Jorge Gutierrez into the lineup against Louisville Friday night in Jacksonville. Six-foot-six small forward Theo Robertson would slide over to the power forward spot as Cal goes small. The other option would be to start 6-7 center Markhuri Sanders- Frison and move Jamal Boykin over to power forward, but Montgomery has been hesitant to do that due to Sanders-Frison's propensity to pick up fouls.
Cal was getting on the plane to Jacksonville and school officials didn't anticipate Montgomery making a statement on Wednesday.
Amoke, from Oxnard, averaged 2.6 points and 2.1 rebounds last year after missing the 2008 season due to calf surgery.
Amoke's loss "presents a problem because it hurts Cal's depth," said Comcast college basketball analyst Dan Belluomini. "He's a tough kid and a good defender. It puts more pressure on the seniors to play more minutes."
It also may hamper the Bears in how they try to cope with 6-9 Samardo Samuels, who leads Louisville in scoring (15.3) and rebounding (7.0), Belluomini said. "If you're going to use multiple fouls on, Amoke gives you another play to rotate against him. So this shortens their bench."
