When the Brown men's basketball team traveled to the University of Missouri to open its season in the Guardians Classic earlier this week, All-American point guard and last season's Ivy League Player of the Year Jason Forte '05 stayed behind in Providence serving a suspension. The suspension stems from an altercation in a pre-season practice.
"It's an unfortunate situation," Forte said. "It has definitely been a learning experience for me. I've gone through an introspective phase where I have thought about ways to prevent another situation like this."
Co-captain Luke Ruscoe '06 took over Forte's role as the team's leading scorer during the first two games, scoring 14 points against Missouri and a career-high 25 against Sam Houston State University.
"(Forte) is extremely competitive, but sometimes that same competitive nature can negatively affect the team," Ruscoe said.
Forte said he feels that he and his teammates are on the same page, as many of his teammates are close friends with him on and off the court. "The fact that I interact with my teammates off of the court makes me feel as if I haven't alienated them during this situation," he said.
Without Forte, the Bears lost two games employing an inexperienced lineup. Still, the team played competitively, losing 68-60 to Missouri and 92-79 to Sam Houston State.
In Forte's stead, Marcus Becker '07 started at point guard, and the Bears were forced to use a rotation in which Ruscoe, the only other upperclassman on the team, was the older player on the floor. Forte likely could have made a difference - last year he led the Ivy League in scoring with 21.4 points per game and assists with 5.79 per game.
Forte is anxious to rejoin his teammates on the hardwood. "My competitive nature alone makes me want to get out there," Forte said.
Head Coach Glen Miller was unavailable for comment on the suspension, but Forte stressed that he and Miller have discussed the situation extensively.
"In talking to (Miller) I got a chance to understand him better, and I'm sure he understands me better," he said.
While Forte's return date is yet to be determined, his return will give the Bears a good gauge as to what type of team they will have for Ivy League play.
"Considering how Coach Miller prepared them in Missouri and how my teammates performed in my absence, I would definitely say we have a legitimate chance at winning the Ivies," Forte said.
