Pitt Basketball: Derrick Randall Suspended Following DUI Arrest

The Pitt basketball program took another hit on Tuesday when the school announced that backup center Derrick Randall would be suspended indefinitely.

Randall was arrested early Tuesday on Rutgers University’s campus and charged with driving while intoxicated, use of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a controlled dangerous substance.

Jan 27, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Panthers forward Derrick Randall (11) reacts on the court before playing the Duke Blue Devils at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

"“The incident involving Derrick Randall is not only surprising, but incredibly disappointing,” coach Jamie Dixon told Paul Zeise of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Although I believe it was out of character for Derrick, he has been indefinitely suspended.”"

Randall is one of the former Rutgers basketball players suing the school and former coach Mike Rice.

This is the second DUI related incident in as many years for the Pitt program as former Panthers guard Trey Zeigler was arrested last season and subsequently suspended. Zeigler has since transferred to TCU.

The Bergen Record reported that an officer initiated a motor vehicle stop on a car that was operating with its headlights off and the investigation led to two arrests.

The incident took place at 2:45 am, close to the Louis Brown Athletic Center, where Rutgers plays its home basketball games.

Randall, who transferred from Rutgers to Pitt last summer, averaged 2.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game this past season.

He served as a backup to Talib Zanna last season, but could have seen additional minutes this year after Zanna’s graduation.

Randall was brought on for some frontcourt depth after the unexpected departure of Steven Adams to the NBA. But he never really panned out and based on what he did last year, you could question if he deserves to be back.

Pitt is already over its scholarship limit for next season and has been linked to other players as well, so someone has to go.

It wouldn’t surprise anyone if Randall, who has one year of eligibility left, has played his final game in a Pitt uniform.