Volunteer Work at Belmont: Freshman forward Matthew Dotson will play for Belmont this season after contemplating sitting out the season as a redshirt freshman. According to NCAA rules, if players sit out a season under the redshirt designation, the season won’t count against their years of eligibility. Dotson arrived at Belmont in August after Tennessee released him from his scholarship. Dotson had signed with the Volunteers when former coach Buzz Peterson was in charge. But after the school ditched Peterson in favor of Bruce Pearl, Dotson realized his situation changed for the worse. Pearl told him that he would not get much playing time with the Volunteers. Belmont welcomed Dotson, but the school does not have a scholarship available this season. He was planning to redshirt this year, then grab a scholarship next season. But he has decided to contribute to the team sooner rather than later.
Dotson is the second Tennessee player or recruit to arrive in Nashville to play on this Belmont team, joining junior center Boomer Herndon, who sat out last season according to NCAA rules for transfer students. While Dotson and Herndon will suit up this season, sophomore forward Will Peeples will not. He has decided to redshirt this season to complete his recovery from knee surgery last spring. [10/28/05]
