That's something University of Kentucky basketball coach Tubby Smith is mulling right now. One of his recruits, Michael Southall, awaits trial on charges of selling drugs. Police in Southall's home town of West Salem, Wisconsin say they have videotape of Southall smoking marijuana at a party and an admission from the 18-year old that he sold pot to schoolmates.
Coming two months after Smith had to suspend forward Desmond Allison from the team after Allison's arrest on DUI charges, Smith knows that he has, in his words, "the image of the program to protect."
Of course, Tubby also has the winning tradition of the program to protect too. Kentucky basketball fans are not noted for their patience. Last year's 23-9 record with a first round exit from the Southeastern Conference tournament and second round loss in the NCAA's to Syracuse did not sit well with the Big Blue faithful.
Tubby's team lacked numbers last year. He couldn't press and run the way he'd like because he simply didn't have enough players to play that style for 40 minutes.
He needed players and he got them. Southall was to be one of four freshman to join a team that loses three players, Jamaal Magloire, Allison (who will lose his scholarship if convicted) and Steve Masiello, who played little.
But now Southall's status is up in the air. Forget for a moment that if Southall is convicted he won't be going to school anywhere next year, he'll be going to jail. If you're Tubby Smith, what do you do?
Do you withdraw the scholarship, knowing some other school will snap him up anyway? Or do you wait, hope the kid somehow avoids jail, and give him a second chance?
Easy for us to say, since our jobs don't ride on the outcome of decisions like that. But it's a tough call to make: Deciding when to forgive and forget. And when to just forget.
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