Finney-Smith cited for pot possession before last season

Florida junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith has sat out the last three games on a suspension for violation of team rules.

While the reason for that suspension remains unclear, the 6-foot-8 forward’s reason for sitting out last season is more apparent.

Finney-Smith was one of three Florida players cited for misdemeanor marijuana possession (less than 20 grams) before the start of last season, according to a University of Florida police report. Also cited were former Gator standout senior forward Casey Prather and former Florida center Damontre Harris, who was dismissed from UF’s team last spring.

Finney-Smith is listed as Dorian L. Smith in the report, but his birthdate in the report matches his birthday in UF’s media guide.

According to the report, campus police showed up to Prather’s dorm room at the Keys Complex on Aug. 10, 2013 after a student complained of smelling marijuana outside the room. Prather consented to a search of his room, where they found a bag of marijuana at the foot of his bed. A green leafy substance also was found in the common living area of the dorm, which Prather shared with Harris and Finney-Smith. You can read the full report here.

Finney-Smith and Harris were suspended for the preseason game and first two regular season games of UF’s 2013-14 season. Harris’ suspension was eventually extended to the whole season and he was dismissed from UF last spring for repeated violation of team rules. Prather was not suspended. The length of suspensions did not fall under the guidelines of UF’s substance abuse policy because it involved marijuana possession, not failed drug tests.

Florida coach Billy Donovan said he will re-asses Finney-Smith’s status on Thursday. Florida has gone 1-2 in its last two games without its second-leading scorer (12.9 ppg) and leading rebounder (5.7 rpg).

Asked about Finney-Smith’s current suspension last week, Donovan said: “To commit your heart and soul and body everything into something, I think that’s something that’s really hard to do. And I think that’s the only way you can really be successful. And Dorian’s decisions represented a lack of commitment, in my opinion.”

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