MUTS player quits as team heads to WKU

MeanGreen61 · January 7, 2006

MUTS board thread on loss of Lake

http://middletennessee.rivals.com/showmsg....37&sid=&style=2

MTSU's Lake quits as team heads to WKU

By ADAM SPARKS

sparks@dnj.com

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Entering its most anticipated game of the season tonight, MTSU will be without one of its rising stars.

Redshirt freshman forward Brian Lake has quit the Blue Raiders' squad as the team heads to Western Kentucky for its Sun Belt opener at 7 p.m.

"Brian Lake has chosen to quit our basketball team at Middle Tennessee," said MTSU coach Kermit Davis. "He said he has lost his desire to play. We wish Brian the best of luck."

Lake, who leaves in good academic standing, could not be reached for comment. He had played in all 12 games this season, including four starts, while averaging 6.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest.

Lake scored a career-high 17 points in a win over Florida Atlantic Dec. 21 and had actually made a recent progression, averaging eight points and shooting 57 percent from the field over the last four games.

Lake was a Mr. Basketball finalist at Bolivar High School, where he led his team to a state title at the Murphy Center. He was named TSSAA Class AA state tournament MVP.

However, he informed Davis that he was quitting the team Thursday and did not show up for practice Friday afternoon.

Lake's departure adds adversity to MTSU heading into a face-off with the Hilltoppers.

"This game always has the best atmosphere of any game we play, so we know what we're coming into," said MTSU junior center Kyle Young. "They've already played a (Sun Belt) game, but this is also their home (conference) opener, and they'll be waiting for us."

MTSU (7-5) is coming off the second worst defeat during the Kermit Davis era, falling 83-50 to No. 4 Memphis Wednesday, while Western Kentucky (9-4, 1-0) narrowly escaped Arkansas State Thursday with a 72-70 win in both squads' Sun Belt opener.

The Blue Raiders' top two concerns tonight will soon be shared by the rest of the league. WKU guards Courtney Lee (19.8 points) and Anthony Winchester (18.6) rank first and third in the conference in scoring, respectively, and should each be a candidate for Sun Belt Player of the Year.

Davis knows containing the talented tandem is a must to beat the Hilltoppers.

"Looking at Winchester and Lee, I just don't know who's going to guard them," Davis said. "(Marcus) Morrison, Bud (Howard), Fats (Cuyler)? I don't know.

"That's a bad feeling, that we don't really have a defensive stopper."

WKU, which leads the league in field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage, has already earned wins against UAB, Evansville and Virginia this season and enters tonight's game riding a three-game winning streak.

WKU swept the two-game series last season by a combined seven points, beating the Blue Raiders 61-56 at Murfreesboro and winning 85-83 in overtime at home.

Edited January 7, 2006 by MeanGreen61