Word is out that A.J. Ratliff will not be making the trip to Champaign tonight due to "personal reasons." Kelvin Sampson revealed Ratliff's status earlier today during a radio interview.
If you've been following the team semi-closely this shouldn't be a huge shock. Ratliff hasn't exactly been seeing too much court time lately, and Sampson made a verbal quip last Sunday, wondering when the former Indiana Mr. Basketball was going to make his next shot (although he did hit a 3-pointer against Northwestern).
Heading into Big Ten play, Ratliff was expected to bolster the Hoosier backcourt, but other than a couple defensive stops against the Illini, he really hasn't been the player people expected.
Will Ratliff's absence influence tonight's game? I don't think so. Like I implied in my column today, he's probably been the biggest disappointment this season. What's A.J's problem?
