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The Boilermakers announced this evening that they have suspended sophomore guard Ryan Cline for the season opener against McNeese State on November 11th.
#Purdue suspends guard Ryan Cline for the season opener against McNeese State, per a school release. pic.twitter.com/hBkB2R1Dcx
— Bryan Steedman (@crazytoledo) November 1, 2016
Cline will also have to sit out the team’s exhibition game tonight and Purdue’s “secret scrimmage” this weekend against West Virginia. Cline was suspended for a violation of team rules per a school release, with a suspension similar to the one A.J. Hammons received a few years back.
“We have suspended Ryan for our first three competitions for a violation of team rules. We hold our players to a set of standards and they are expected to conduct themselves accordingly,” said Matt Painter.
The sophomore guard was mainly a three point specialist last year, with the guard shooting 109 of his 121 field goals from beyond the arc. He averaged 3.9 points and 1.3 assists per game last year, while hitting 38.5% from three.
Per Nathan Baird of the Lafayette Journal & Courier, the reason for the suspension may have been a citation from this past July.
#Purdue's Ryan Cline was cited for possession of marijuana in Hamilton County in July, per online court records. Likely cause of suspension.
— Nathan Baird (@nbairdjc) November 1, 2016
Cline isn’t the only Purdue player that is set to miss the season opener as forward Basil Smotherman also received the same suspension back in July. That will leave Purdue without two scholarship players for the season opener against McNeese State. The Cowboys went 9-20 last season.
Both players should be set to return for Purdue’s second game on the 14th when the Boilermakers are set to host defending champs Villanova.