Williams leaves team, Lindsay "doubtful" for Wednesday

Derrick Williams has left the men's basketball team due to personal reasons, according to Richmond Athletics.

Williams, a 6-foot-6-inch senior forward from Harlem, N.Y., has averaged 5.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 20.6 minutes per game this season.

Williams averaged more than 11 points and five rebounds per game in the last two seasons. Williams has seen his playing time decrease this season, thanks, in part, to the emergence of four sophomore forwards: Terry Allen, Alonzo Nelson-Ododa, Deion Taylor and Trey Davis.

Davis said head coach Chris Mooney had told the team Monday afternoon that Williams would leave the team, but Davis had not directly spoken to Williams since the announcement.

"It was definitely surprising," Davis said. "We didn't expect it coming at all. All of us were pretty shocked that he was leaving."

Williams posted his first double-double of the season in a 77-57 loss at St. Louis last Wednesday. Williams started in Saturday's loss at Virginia Commonwealth University, which turned out to be his last game in a Richmond uniform.

"He's definitely a big loss," Davis said, "but I feel that we have other guys that can step up."

Davis said he did not think Williams left the team because of his decrease in minutes.

Williams and Mooney have not responded to emails from The Collegian.

Cedrick Lindsay is now the sole senior on the team, but his future is uncertain, as John O'Connor, of the Richmond Times Dispatch, reported that Lindsay is "doubtful" for Wednesday's game against Saint Bonaventure.

When asked if he suffered an injury at the end of the VCU game, Lindsay said he had not been sure how to answer that question.

"This is something I have to deal with later so we'll just see how it goes," Lindsay said.

Lindsay did not practice yesterday and has been going to rehab this week, Davis said.

This story will be updated as more information becomes available.

Update Feb. 4, 8:58 p.m. Lindsay is now listed as questionable for Wednesday's game, according to Richmond Athletics.

Update Feb. 5, 3:58 p.m. Lindsay will miss the remainder of the season, per a source.

Contact staff writer Jack Nicholson at jack.nicholson@richmond.edu

Follow him on Twitter at @Jack_Nicholson