Varnado, leading scorer and rebounder, suspended

Wesley Kirchharr Troy basketball standout Jordan Varnado has been suspended indefinitely from the men’s basketball team, per a statement given to the media at Saturday’s home matchup against South Alabama. The senior forward was dismissed due to a violation of team rules, according to Troy Athletics. Varnado, from Brownsville, Tennessee, led the Trojans on both ends of the court, statistically leading Troy in points, blocks, rebounds, and field goals made, as well as points per game during a stellar sophomore campaign. Two years ago, the Trojans made a sweep through the Sun Belt tournament, clinching a spot in the NCAA tournament, matching up with the No. 2 seeded Duke Blue Devils in the first round. Troy was handed the loss by Jayson Tatum and Grayson Allen’s Blue Devils, but not before Varnado posted 18 points and 10 rebounds on Troy’s biggest stage in years. Varnado was named to the All-Sun Belt First Team in the same season, the first Trojan to earn the honor in seven seasons. Varnado, 6-feet, 6-inches tall and 230 pounds, ends the 2018-2019 season with a career total of 1,917 points, earning him a top 10 spot in Troy’s Division 1 scoring list. The suspension, though indefinite, is expected to be for the remainder of the 2018-2019 season, as there are only four regular season games left to play, which would essentially end Varnado’s college career.