Peter Casey-US PRESSWIRE
According to a report from Virginian-Pilot columnist Ed Miller, Old Dominion backup forward Jason Pimentel has been dismissed from the team.
ODU head coach Blaine Taylor confirmed the news last Friday that the 6-8 forward was not invited back to the team. ”We did not invite him back,” Taylor told Miller. ”We felt like it was in the programs best interest to move forward without Jason.”
Pimentel averaged 2.2 points and 2.3 rebounds in 28 games last season in a very limited role. He averaged only 8.6 minutes playing a reserve role behind forwards Chris Cooper and Nick Wright. When Pimentel did see action, he showed limited skills and didn’t quite know how to utilize his size and strength against other teams. He was lacking a go-to move offensively and was even more anemic on the defensive end blocking just three shots the entire season.
“It was just kind of a cumulative thing,” said Taylor. ”I think our staff and the people here were very fair with Jason and we sure wish him well.”
Pimentel is academically eligible to transfer this year. This is was not the case for the two other Monarchs that were dismissed before him. Sophomore guard Breon Key was dismissed from the team in June for “falling short of his academic and social responsibilities” and junior college transfer Nayquan Mitchell was not brought back this year because he failed to qualify for the second semester last season.
The roster move now leaves ODU with five returning players and seven new players including North Carolina State transfer DeShawn Painter who looks to be a big reason why Pimentel was so expendable. Besides Painter, the Monarchs only have two big men upperclassmen in 6-8 redshirt senior Wright and the 7-0 redshirt junior Anton Larsen. That could mean an increased role for one, or both of the incoming freshmen forwards Ekene Anachebe and Stuart McEwen.
