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UVa. loses Tucker to leave of absence

Chris Graham

Forward Jamil Tucker is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the Virginia men’s basketball team to focus on personal matters UVa head coach Tony Bennett announced on Wednesday.

Tucker, a 6-9 senior from Gary, Ind., will not play in games or practice with the team during his leave of absence.

“Jamil has some things he has to deal with at this time,” Bennett said. “This leave of absence will give him time to deal with these matters.”

Tucker played in all 28 games and started four for Virginia last season. He averaged 7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 18.5 minutes played a game during the 2008-09 season. He shot 44.2 percent (73-165) from the field, including 40.3 percent (31-77) from three-point range, and 68.2 percent (30-44) from the free throw line.

Tucker has lettered three times for the Cavaliers. He has played in 88 games the last three seasons and averaged 5.3 points and 3.1 rebounds a game. He is shooting 40.7 percent (83-204) from three-point range for his career.

Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham, the king of "fringe media," a zero-time Virginia Sportswriter of the Year, and a member of zero Halls of Fame, is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, or subscribe to his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].