Minnesota coach Tubby Smith did not discuss the specifics of the violations, nor did he mention any timetable for the player's return. He did say Joseph will not join the team on its trip to the Puerto Rico tipoff tournament next week, which could cost the Gophers resume-building early wins.
"He's working his way through it," Smith said. "Hopefully he'll do all the things required of him to get back in good grace."
Joseph, a junior, averaged 9.4 points per game last year and scored in double figures in five of the team's last six contests. He was expected to make more of an impact this season with more minutes available without departed seniors Lawerence Westbrook and Damian Johnson.
It's a tough blow for the Golden Gophers, who face a challenging schedule at the start of the season. They open at home on Friday night against NCAA tournament team Wofford and face Siena on Monday before leaving on Tuesday for Puerto Rico.
"He's a guy that can get his shot, can knock down the open jump shot and plays with a passion," Smith said. "A kid that's competitive and just is a hard-nosed, tough kid."
The Gophers know a thing or two about dealing with these things. Point guard Al Nolen missed the second half of last season because of academic issues and recruits Royce White and Trevor Mbakwe did not play all season because of off-the-court problems.
White eventually left school. Mbakwe returned this year and is expected to be a big contributor.
"Last year I think a bunch of guys got distracted with the off-the-court issues," senior guard Blake Hoffarber said. "We have guys that are used to dealing with it now."
Smith said the program will stand behind Joseph as he works through his "mistakes." He said he was disappointed in one of his veterans putting himself in this position, but he expects and hopes that Joseph will bounce back.
"Devoe knows he's let the team down," Smith said. "He feels like he's let himself down, he's let me down. But it doesn't take long to recover. Once you realize that when you look at the mirror, you say, 'You know what, I better go hug him because I'm looking for a hug myself.' I've made mistakes after mistakes [too]."
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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Source: http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2010/11/12/devoe-joseph-suspended-indefinitely-by-minnesota/
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