The Franklin News-Post
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310 Main Street, SW
Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
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Keith Crump |
Friday, November 20, 2009
By STEVEN MARSH - Sports Editor
FERRUM -- A recent illness has forced senior wing guard Keith Crump to take a leave of absence from Ferrum College's men's basketball team.
Crump, a returning, first team All-USA South Athletic Conference player and the Panthers' leading scorer each of the past two seasons, has mononucleosis and could miss the entire campaign while recovering.
"He's got mono and he's out for a long, long time,' Panthers head coach Bill Tharp said after Wednesday's 65-61 non-conference loss to Randolph College. "We'll have to see how it goes, but he is out for a long, long time.
"We're a different team right now,' Tharp said.
In response to a rule exclusive to NCAA Division III that was passed in 2004, the college has taken Crump off its men's basketball roster.
Crump was removed from the roster prior to Tuesday's practice, said Ferrum Assistant Athletic Director and Sports Information Director Gary Holden, who also serves as the college's NCAA Compliance Officer.
Tuesday's workout was Ferrum's first practice after the Panthers' first game, a 20-point loss at Lynchburg College Sunday. Crump was on the roster then, but did not travel to the game, Tharp said.
The rule has affected other Ferrum student-athletes since its passage, Holden said, was put into effect to stop the practice of red-shirting in Division III, for reasons other than medical hardship.
"With the Division III rules if (Keith) stays on the roster, right now, you have to send in paperwork to get a medical redshirt,' Tharp said. "Since we took him off before the first practice after the first game, he hasn't used any eligibility.
"Then, if (Keith) can come back later, we can just add him back (to the roster),' Tharp said.
"We'll see how it goes and see what he ends up deciding what he thinks is best for him...Mono can be you're over it in two or three weeks health-wise, then you've got to get your strength back or it can linger and linger. We just don't know,' Tharp said.
Holden said Tharp explained the rule and Ferrum's response to Crump and his mother, who lives in Richmond.
Tharp said Crump notified him last Wednesday that "he wasn't feeling well and that he made three visits to the doctor' before the diagnosis was made.
"He's about a week into it. We'll have to see how he progresses.' Tharp said.
Tharp said Crump has returned home and will most likely withdraw from the college for the semester.
Freshman Henry Hall started at the wing-guard spot Wednesday and was 2 of 5 from the floor, 2 of 3 from 3-point range.
Junior Ryan Firebaugh started at that position against Lynchburg. |
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