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Point guard Kedren Johnson, Vanderbilt's leading scorer in 2012-2013, won't be returning to the Commodores according to a new report from CBS Sports's reliable reporter Gary Parrish.
Former Vanderbilt standout Kedren Johnson is not returning to the SEC school after being suspended all of last season, multiple sources told CBSSports.com on Friday. The sources added that Memphis is a possible, if not the probable, destination for Johnson -- a 6-foot-4 guard who led Vandy in scoring during the 2012-13 season while averaging 13.5 points, 3.6 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. Memphis has an available scholarship thanks to Thursday's transfer of Dominic Woodson.
The news comes as a bit of a surprise for Commodore fans. Johnson pledged that he would return to the team after being suspended from not just the team, but the entire university for what he described as "very poor judgement." The team, player, and school all failed to publicly elaborate on the action that led to his discipline. However, Johnson made it clear that he would have the opportunity to rejoin the program after serving his punishment. That would have made him a fourth-year junior for this winter's team.
Instead, the 'Dores will rely on a cache of highly-rated recruits to fill the void he'll leave behind. Wade Baldwin, Matthew Fisher-Davis, Riley LaChance, Shelton Mitchell, and Nolan Cressler are all guards/wings who will have the opportunity to replace the scoring that Johnson will take with him to his next destination. They'll have to develop quickly if Kevin Stallings has hopes of bringing this team back to the NCAA Tournament in 2015.
The first indication that Johnson may not return came earlier this summer when he was left off the team's updated official roster. While it seemed as though he may have been waiting for clearance to officially rejoin his teammates, reports now suggest that he'll continue his collegiate career elsewhere. We'll have more updates on his situation as they develop.