The oft-cited statistic is Xavier's point of pride: Every men's basketball player since 1985 who has played as a senior has graduated. Lloyd Price, XU officials decided, wasn't going to graduate. So he won't be a senior.

        Xavier took the high road Monday with its announcement that it wouldn't renew Price's scholarship and had dismissed him from the program. Price, a three-year starter at small forward, was in serious academic jeopardy and had ignored repeated orders to improve his grades.

        Coaches informed him of the decision late last week, and Price left school over the weekend. His whereabouts Monday, as well as his future destination, were unknown.

        “It was more academic than anything else,” coach Skip Prosser said. “We met with Lloyd and decided mutually that his interests would be best served elsewhere.”

        Privately, some in XU's program view this as addition by subtraction. Price was maddeningly inconsistent and often played out of control. He never lived up to his billing as the highest-rated recruit in XU history (No. 17 by The Sporting News).

        He began this season as an Atlantic 10 first-team pick after averaging 13 points and 6 rebounds as a sophomore, but injuries dogged him all winter. He averaged 9.2 points and 4.4 rebounds this season, shooting a career-low 40 percent from the field, including 25 percent on 3-point tries.

        XU will return its top three scorers from an NCAA Tournament team, though there is now a void at small forward. Junior-to-be Dave Young (2.5 ppg), senior-to-be Brandon McIntosh (0.6) and incoming freshman Keith Jackson will likely compete for the spot.

        XU will have three seniors next year: starter Kevin Frey (11.4) and reserves Alvin Brown (1.7) and McIntosh.

        Frey said, “I'm sad and really disappointed” by Price's departure. “I know he struggled (in classes), but this takes us kind of by surprise.”

        Brown will be a fifth-year senior, and McIntosh started as a walk-on. Three scholarship players who would have been in Frey's graduating class have all transferred or been dismissed: Aaron Turner, Khalil Nixon and Price.

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