Syracuse, NY (Sports Network) - Syracuse forward James Southerland is sidelined indefinitely because of an eligibility issue.

Southerland is Syracuse's second-leading scorer despite coming off the bench, averaging 13.6 points in 16 games heading into Saturday's contest against Villanova.

"Due to an eligibility matter, senior James Southerland will not participate in competition until further notice," the university said in a statement Saturday. "Given university policy and federal student privacy laws, we are unable to provide any further details at this time."

It's not an unfamiliar problem for Syracuse.

Last year, center Fab Melo encountered academic eligibility problems during the season and again just before the start of the NCAA Tournament.

The Sports Network