Oklahoma Sooners Basketball: Kristian Doolittle suspended for fall semester

The university has suspended Oklahoma Sooners forward Kristian Doolittle from the team for the fall semester, according to a Wednesday release. Doolittle averaged 9.1 points and 6.2 rebounds as a freshman in 2016-17 and is expected to be a key to Oklahoma’s success in 2017-18.

This means Doolittle will miss key games against Arkansas, USC and potentially North Carolina. The fall semester ends on Dec. 15, so hopefully he will be back for some of Oklahoma’s late non-conference games.

In a statement, the Edmond native had the following to say about the suspension:

"I didn't meet the academic standards and I apologize to my teammates, coaches, fans and the university. I take full responsibility for my actions and will use this time away from the team to learn from my mistakes. I am committed to bettering myself throughout this process and look forward to earning a chance to compete with my teammates after the fall semester."

Lon Kruger added the following:

"We're disappointed for Kristian. He made some poor decisions that resulted in his suspension from the university. We will provide support and encouragement as he works to earn the opportunity to rejoin the team at the conclusion of the fall semester."

Doolittle was seen practicing with the second unit on many occasions prior to the team’s trip to Australia and New Zealand, it now it kind of makes sense. Manek was the guy going with the starters in those instances, and will provide the freshman with some valuable minutes in big games. The Harrah native was extremely impressive in Oceania, so it’ll be interesting to see what he can do as a starter.

This obviously isn’t a positive development, but I think OU will be fine. Trae Young seems to agree.