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On Monday afternoon, the Indiana Athletic Department announced that sophomore forward Emmitt Holt had been dismissed from the program and that incoming freshman Thomas Bryant was going to be internally disciplined for issues over the offseason. The dismissal comes from an incident earlier this offseason where both players were cited for illegal alcohol position.
Here is the statement released regarding Emmitt Holt:
Just in: @IndianaMBB dismisses sophomore Emmitt Holt. pic.twitter.com/koTBAtMq1i
— Brent Yarina (@BTNBrentYarina) August 31, 2015
Holt was certainly not the top contributor for the Hoosiers last season, but he did end up playing in 29 games over the course of the year while averaging 11.4 minutes, 3.6 points, and 3.0 rebounds per game. He had an offensive rating of 129.1 and an eFG% of 65.0% last season as well, which show his efficient play. He played in each of the team's final nine games of the season, including 25 minutes against Maryland in the Big Ten Tournament.
Though Bryant was not dismissed from the team, he was punished:
Thomas Bryant to receive "internal" discipline."Subject to additional discipline for any future failure to live up to his responsibilities."
— ZachOsterman (@ZachOsterman) August 31, 2015
Bryant is considered to be a major prospect and the likely starter upfront for the Hoosiers next season. He is rated as a 4-star recruit by ESPN and as the #6 center in the recruiting class. Indiana's frontcourt was underwhelming last season and Bryant is expected to offer an upgrade over its performance last season.
With Holt's dismissal, Indiana is now one scholarship under the limit for the 2015-16 season and three under the limit for the 2016-17 season. The Hoosiers have seen a variety of players either transfer or be dismissed from the program this season. In fact, Jeremiah April, Devin Davis, Emmitt Holt, Max Hoetzel, Hanner Mosquera-Perea, and Stanford Robinson have all left the program in the recent past. It will be interesting to see if these departures impact the program significantly.