Even though Dayton has enthusiastically supported the NCAA tournament's play-in round since its inception, the city is not guaranteed to remain the host site for the First Four beyond 2015.
The NCAA rejected a proposal from the University of Dayton that would have kept the event in the city for years to come, opting instead to allow other cities to bid on the rights to host the First Four from 2016-18 as well. Dayton remains a strong candidate to win the bid, but the NCAA's position suggests it's serious about considering other options.
There's no harm in the NCAA exploring other potential host sites, but the organization would be wise not to discount the large crowds, consistent media coverage and spirited welcome receptions Dayton provides.
The First Four already carries enough of a stigma as the play-in round to qualify for the round of 64. It would only heighten that if the games occurred in front of sparse crowds in a disinterested host city.
There are other promising options for the NCAA, however, if it decides to uproot the First Four from Dayton.
It could rotate the First Four among similar mid-sized cities with a history of supporting college basketball, like Omaha or Kansas City for example. It could house the First Four in a different historic basketball arena each year such as the Palestra in Philadelphia or Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Or it could abandon the idea of a host city altogether and play each individual game in the arena where the winner would play its round of 64 game two days later.
All of these are viable possibilities and worthy of consideration. Still, the NCAA has a good thing going with the tradition it has built in Dayton, and it might not be smart to mess with that.
The first game is nearly three months away, but the Rutgers men's basketball program already has been hit with a controversial call.
The NCAA has denied a waiver to play immediately for Kerwin Okoro, an Iowa State transfer who figured to provide depth in the backcourt this season for first-year coach Eddie Jordan. Rutgers is appealing the decision, which was first reported by NJ-com. The rejection comes as a surprise to Rutgers and most observers because Okoro, a 6-foot-5, 230-pound Bronx native, dealt with two deaths in his immediate family last season — his 28-year-old brother succumbed to colon cancer in February and his father died of a stroke in December.
The former star at city powerhouse St. Raymond appeared in just nine games as a freshman at Iowa State, averaging 1.0 points. He was brought in to provide backcourt depth — especially for this season, as Jordan began to rebuild a roster that was depleted after former coach Mike Rice was fired and several of his players transferred. One of those leaving, wing Mike Poole, was just given a hardship waiver for his senior year at Iona by the NCAA. Others have applied and await decisions.
Once sparing in its issuance of hardship waivers, the NCAA has given them out with increasing frequency over the past few years, especially to players relocating closer to home.
Okoro, who is entering his sophomore year, will now have to sit out this season per NCAA transfer rules. He has three years of eligibility remaining, meaning he will be on scholarship at Rutgers for four more years.
All eyes now turn toward Rutgers' other hardship waiver application, for senior wing J.J. Moore. The Pittsburgh transfer and Long Island native has requested the waiver due to a sick grandfather — a case that, on its face, seemed much less of a sure thing than Okoro's.
Moore's waiver is crucial because he figures to be an immediate starter and one of the best players on the team. Plus, his denial would leave Rutgers without another scholarship for the Class of 2014.
At the moment Rutgers has 11 eligible players for the upcoming season, but there is one more moving part. Freshman Junior Etou, a highly regarded 6-foot-8 power forward from Bishop O'Connell (Va.), has yet to be approved by the NCAA's Clearinghouse.
The issue with Etou, ranked as the No. 139 player in the Class of 2013 by Rivals-com, is the year he spent at Florida prep school Arlington Country Day, which is under the NCAA's microscope. Etou is enrolled at Rutgers but has not participated in any formal team activities. If denied, Etou likely would need another year of prep school or junior college.
NCAA denies Rutgers player's waiver despite family deaths
If Syracuse is going to break its own single-game college hoops attendance record when Duke visits the Carrier Dome for the first time on Feb. 1, the Orange will have to do it with their arena in its traditional configuration.
The school decided not to move its basketball floor from the Carrier Dome's South end zone to the middle of the football field for the game against the Blue Devils, the Syracuse Post-Standard reported. Such a setup would have allowed Syracuse to potentially draw more than 50,000 fans to the game, which would have demolished college basketball's previous on-campus attendance mark set when 35,012 people packed the Carrier Dome for Georgetown's final Big East visit last season.
The idea of moving the court for big games has been discussed for years by Syracuse fans, but the school has always opted against it for logistical reasons. Associate athletic director Joe Giansante told the Post-Standard that was again the reason this time, citing factors factors such as moving season-ticket holders and having to move the court for the Duke game only to move it back in time for a women's game the next day.
"It was considered and studied intensely,'' Giansante said. "We considered it very seriously. A lot of things pointed us in the direction of being able to do it, but several pointed in the other direction.''
It's a shame that Syracuse couldn't figure out a way to move the court because a matchup of arguably the ACC's two best teams in front of a crowd of 50,000 would have been one of the best scenes in college basketball next season. The Orange can still challenge or surpass their own attendance mark, but now it will have to be an incremental step up by a few hundred fans rather than a giant leap to the 50,000 mark.
Syracuse's decision also suggests it's unlikely the basketball floor will be moved to the middle of the football field anytime soon. If the first ACC matchup against Duke wasn't a big enough deal to attempt that feat, no home game in the near future is going to be either.
On Monday morning, with no context or explanation, heralded point guard Emmanuel Mudiay tweeted, "Sometimes u just have to shock the world!"
The meaning of that tweet became a bit more intriguing four days later when Rivals-com's No. 3 Class of 2014 recruit revealed he will announce his college destination on ESPNU during the Under Armour Elite 24 event on Saturday night.
Mudiay cut his list a few weeks ago to five schools: Kentucky, Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma State and SMU. Most recruiting analysts consider Kentucky and SMU the favorites to land the Dallas native, but only a commitment to the hometown Mustangs would qualify as Mudiay pulling a stunner.
Based on the unexpectedly early timing of Mudiay's announcement, it appears SMU has a a real chance of securing a commitment on Saturday.
Mudiay reportedly has visited SMU a handful of times and wouldn't have taken an official visit to Kentucky until Big Blue Madness in October. Plus Kentucky reportedly just extended a scholarship offer to another point guard, Tyler Ulis, suggesting that the Wildcats may not be as confident about landing Mudiay as they once were.
If SMU can go head-to-head with the likes of Kentucky and Kansas and land a five-star recruit, it would be regarded as by far the biggest coup of Larry Brown's brief two-year tenure.
Kentucky is a perennial national contender, John Calipari groomed an NBA point guard five straight seasons from 2007 to 2012 and the long, athletic Mudiay is a perfect fit for the Wildcats' dribble drive offense. SMU was a perennial also-ran in Conference USA until the combination of Brown's arrival and a move to the American Athletic Conference raised the Mustangs' profile a bit.
The arrival of Mudiay for the 2014-15 season could be the boost SMU needs to rise in stature even further.
The 6-foot-4 Mudiay has a lightning-quick first step to the basket, impressive athleticism and the ability to finish well through contact at the rim. His outside shot remains a work in progress since he so rarely faces a defender he can't beat off the dribble, but his vision and decision-making with the ball in his hands has improved.
Pair Mudiay with 2013 McDonald's All-American Keith Frazier, heralded junior college big man Yanick Moreira and a wealth of depth, and SMU would have a chance to begin the 2014-15 season in the preseason top 20. Not bad for a program that hasn't made the NCAA tournament since 1993 and barely mattered nationally prior to the controversial hiring of Brown.
UNLV sophomore forward Savon Goodman will sit out the upcoming season so he "can focus on getting his priorities in order," coach Dave Rice said.
A warrant was issued Aug. 15 for Goodman's arrest on felony charges of burglary and grand larceny and a gross misdemeanor charge of conspiracy to commit burglary stemming from a May 18 incident, according to court documents.
Rice declined to discuss specifics of the case, but said the 19-year-old Goodman has not been kicked off the Runnin' Rebels and is expected to start classes Monday. "We are aware of the situation and are gathering more information. I will not have any specific comment until we know more," Rice told the Las Vegas Sun. "Having said that, regardless of the resolution, at the very least Savon Goodman will not play this season so he can focus on getting his priorities in order."
Goodman is scheduled to appear Friday in Las Vegas Justice Court.
The Philadelphia native averaged 9.1 minutes in 27 games last season, recording 3.6 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. He was expected to take on an expanded role this season.
Rice said he informed Goodman of his decision Thursday.
"Savon was disappointed, but he appeared to be committed to being part of the team," Rice told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "I've always believed one of my jobs as a basketball coach is to help and support our players through tough times, but that doesn't mean that basketball has to be part of the equation."
Chris Walker, a McDonald's All-American and the jewel of Florida's 2013 recruiting class, is not enrolled in classes at Florida, according to the University of Florida registrar's office.
Florida's fall semester began last Wednesday, but this Tuesday was the drop/add deadline and the final day for a student to enroll for fall semester. As USA TODAY Sports reported last week, indications were that Walker would not enroll by Tuesday's deadline and would instead continue working toward meeting NCAA eligibility requirements and then enroll at Florida in December. The 6-10 forward is not listed on Florida's roster.
Gators coach Billy Donovan has declined to speak about Walker since the fall semester began because of NCAA rules that only allow him to talk publicly about signed recruits and players on his roster.
Walker's national letter of intent is now null and void because he was not academically eligible by the first day of fall classes, which would technically reclassify Walker as a recruit and not a signee. There have been no indications that Walker will go elsewhere; he's tweeted over the summer about looking forward to working with the Florida coaching staff.
Walker took three online courses over the summer to try to meet the academic requirements for NCAA initial eligibility. Based on Walker's last ACT score (16), he needs to finish his online courses with a 2.6 GPA or higher to gain eligibility, the Gainesville Sun reported earlier this summer.
Even if Florida is without Walker for the start of the season, the Gators still will enter the season as a top-25 team. The Gators have a great deal of depth in the frontcourt with Patric Young, Will Yeguete, Dorian Finney-Smith and Damontre Harris.
COUNTDOWN: PROJECTING THE FIELD OF 68
Chris Walker not enrolled at Florida for fall semester
Could Louisville's 2013-14 team be better than the championship team?
If you ask Peyton Siva, he's making it sound that way. Siva told Jeff Goodman of ESPN-com that the Cardinals will be "better" and "more talented" than a season ago.
"They really aren't missing anything," Siva said. "The key for them will be chemistry because talentwise, there's nothing to worry about."
Is Siva selling his championship squad short? Or is he onto something here? Let's break it down position by position.
Pictures: Will Louisville Be Better or Worse in 2013-14 NCAA Basketball Season? | Bleacher Report
Michigan State sophomore guard Gary Harris injured his right ankle in a pickup game with teammates on Friday and will be out four to eight weeks.
Harris, a potential All-American and 2014 NBA first-round pick, was able to avoid offseason shoulder surgery after having issues with both shoulders during a terrific freshman season. MSU's preseason practice is scheduled to begin four weeks from Friday and the season opener is six weeks after that, Nov. 8 against McNeese State.
Rick Pitino is once again studying video of Michael Jordan and John Stockton to learn from them.
The Louisville coach wants to be sure he knows what to say and not say when he is inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame on Sunday.
Pitino is among a seven-member class to be enshrined on Sunday in Springfield, Mass, that includes former college coaches Jerry Tarkanian and Guy Lewis, former NBA players Bernard King and Gary Payton, Virginia graduate and current South Carolina women's coach Dawn Staley and North Carolina's Sylvia Hatchell.
Former coaches-turned-TV analysts Dick Vitale and Hubie Brown will introduce Pitino, who's preparing to stay within the five-minute acceptance speech time and promised Monday to be ''more thankful'' than Jordan, who was criticized for taking shots at others during his induction speech.
Memphis' already experienced and talented backcourt has gotten a boost. Michael Dixon has been granted a waiver by the NCAA to play this season, Tigers coach Josh Pastner confirmed in a text message to USA TODAY Sports on Wednesday afternoon.
"Michael Dixon is cleared to compete this year," Pastner wrote. "He is good to go." Dixon had transferred to Memphis from Missouri, where he was suspended the first six games of last season before being leaving the program after a pair of sexual assault allegations became public. No criminal charges were filed in either case.
Maryland's Dez Wells was granted a waiver to play last season after leaving Xavier under similar circumstances.
Dixon's father Michael Dixon Sr. told the Memphis Commercial-Appeal, "Michael has made some very poor decisions. Very poor. Those decisions cost him dearly. But Michael has never been a rapist, and anybody who knows him knows that his biggest flaw is he wants to be with everybody and he wants to please everybody. He has to learn how to put boundaries around himself, and this is a way of God showing him that he's gotta change in that aspect, and he has made changes."
"I'd be remiss if I didn't say the work of Josh Pastner and the people at the University of Memphis have been unbelievable," Dixon Sr. said. "The diligence that they put in on checking Michael's background and finding out information about him, and then, once they found out this was a kid they would be willing to take a chance on, going out and putting in the work and getting this done. We can't thank them enough."
Dixon will provide Memphis with a fourth senior guard this season -- to go along with Joe Jackson, Chris Crawford and Geron Johnson, all of whom averaged double-digit scoring last season.
Dixon averaged 13.5 points and 3.3 assists two years ago at Missouri.
Michael Dixon eligible to play immediately at Memphis
Wichita State freshman guard D.J. Bowles will undergo tests to determine why he blacked out at practice.
Bowles was taken to a Wichita hospital Tuesday night after collapsing during a workout at Koch Arena. Assistant athletic director Larry Rankin says Bowles was stable and talking when he was taken to Via Christi on St. Francis.
Bowles' father, Darren Bowles, says his 18-year-old son is scheduled to undergo tests at the hospital on Wednesday.
Bowles is from Chattanooga, Tenn., but played last season at Oldsmar Christian High School in Florida.
Tom Izzo is one authority figure Michigan State students will listen to.
Some of them, at least.
The Spartans' basketball coach went over to the student section during a delay before Saturday's football game against South Florida and urged fans to leave the area because bad weather was on the way. A message was posted on the scoreboard, and the seating bowl was almost empty except for a student section that was about half full.
Izzo said on a microphone that it wasn't safe to stay.
Michigan State's season opener last week was also delayed by bad weather.
Some fans remained near the field even after Izzo's speech - but a downpour about 10 minutes later helped clear the place out.
Izzo urges students to leave during football delay
Connecticut forward Tyler Olander has been charged with DUI and suspended from the basketball team indefinitely.
Connecticut state police say Olander was pulled over Saturday near the Storrs campus and charged with operating under the influence of drugs or alcohol, operating an unregistered motor vehicle and operating a vehicle in violation of license classification.
Police said Olander failed a field sobriety test. No other details were released.
UConn spokesman Mike Enright says Olander was suspended Monday for violating unspecified team rules.
Olander did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment.
The 21-year-old, 6-foot-10 senior from Mansfield, Conn., was barred from team activities for a month earlier this year after being charged with trespassing in Panama City, Fla., while on spring break. He agreed to a fine and community service in that case.
The parents of a Slippery Rock (Pa.) University basketball player who died two years ago after collapsing during an intense practice have sued the school and the NCAA, saying their son wasn't screened for the sickle cell trait that contributed to his death and school officials didn't do enough to help him.
The lawsuit was filed by Jack and Cheryl Hill of Roselle, N.J., in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court. Their 21-year-old son, Jack Jr., died Sept. 10, 2011, shortly after midnight.
The lawsuit contends the NCAA began screening Division I players for sickle cell in 2010 but didn't require that of Division II player until 2012. Slippery Rock is a Division II school whose coach held a nighttime "insanity practice" as punishment for the entire team, according to the lawsuit.
"The tragedy of the preventable death of a promising young man is that knowing that sickle cell trait was the leading cause of student athlete deaths, the NCAA began mandating testing for SCT at Division I schools in 2010, but the mandate didn't take effect at Division II schools like Slippery Rock until August 2012 — a year after Jack's death, and a direct contributor to it," said Tom Kline, the parents' attorney who announced the lawsuit Monday. NCAA officials did not immediately return calls and emails Monday from the Associated Pres seeking comment on the lawsuit, which was filed late Friday. A Slippery Rock spokesman said the school doesn't comment on lawsuits.
School officials gave Jack Hill Jr. a medical exam in September 2010 when he first tried out for the team. He hadn't played before the exam because the coaches believed he was "overweight and not in playing shape," according to the lawsuit, which says Hill was 6 feet tall and 261 pounds at the time.
Hill wasn't screened for sickle cell trait or sickle cell anemia, and he answered "no" when asked to fill out a form about whether he had either condition. Hill didn't know he had sickle cell trait, according to the lawsuit, which could have been revealed with a blood test.
Sickle cells are malformed red blood cells with a crescent, or sickle, shape that more easily clog arteries and don't carry oxygen as efficiently as normal cells, according to the National Institutes of Health. According to the lawsuit, the NCAA was aware that sickle cell trait-related complications "were the No. 1 cause of student-athlete deaths during the first decade of the 21st century."
Division III schools had to start screening players last month, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit argues that Hill might have been excused from some of the more strenuous workouts had school officials known of his sickle cell trait, and that trainers and other school officials might also have responded differently and more effectively had they known of Hill's condition.
The lawsuit contends CPR was performed only briefly and that a student couldn't properly use an emergency defibrillator to revive Hill. Instead, he went into cardiac arrest and died at Grove City Medical Center.
When the September in-person evaluation period began last Monday in college basketball, at least one coach was on his way to watch practice at Huntington Prep in West Virginia when his compliance office called him and told him to turn around.
The message: Huntington Prep is off-limits as of now for in-person evaluation.
And so are Findlay Prep in Las Vegas and Prime Prep in Dallas.
Three of the major destinations nationally for elite-level talent and the coaches that pursue them are shut down for in-person recruiting until further notice, Yahoo Sports has learned. According to multiple college coaches and emails obtained from both the NCAA and the National Association of Basketball Coaches, the three prep schools have been deemed "non-scholastic," which in accordance with a Dec. 19, 2012, NCAA directive means evaluation outside of games is prohibited.
On Wednesday, Sept. 11, the NABC passed along an email to its members saying the following:
"Coaches,
"There appears to be growing confusion amongst our members coaches on the legality on evaluating the practices or other activities (i.e. open gyms) at some of the prep schools across the country. As a result, we have asked the NCAA to share with us their thoughts on the situation to share with you in hopes of clearing up some of the confusion. Below you will find a directive from the NCAA on the matter.
"We hope that this helps clarify the situation and we will continue to monitor."
Highlighted in the NCAA directive was the following from Jamie Israel in its department of academic and membership affairs:
"A team that is affiliated with a scholastic institution, but not subject to the rules and regulations of a scholastic governing body would be considered a nonscholastic team for purposes of applying the evaluation legislation set forth in Bylaw 13.1.7.8.1-(a). … At this time, the AMA staff has been presented fact situations involving two teams, Findlay Prep and Huntington Prep, and has determined that based on the facts presented and the above mentioned legislation and interpretation, both of those teams would be considered nonscholastic teams …"
That leaves coaches on the outside and unable to look in on several of the top recruits in the nation.
From the class of 2014, Huntington Prep has four high-level players: JaQuan Lyle, who Friday decommitted from Louisville just hours after telling Yahoo Sports he was firmly committed to the Cardinals; Angel Delgado, who is committed to Seton Hall; Jalen Lindsey, committed to Providence; and Josh Perkins, committed to Gonzaga. Among the class of 2015, Huntington has a five-star prospect in Thomas Bryant and a four-star recruit in Montague Gill-Caesar. Among graduates of the school are the No. 1 recruit of 2013, Andrew Wiggins, and former Louisville Cardinal and first-round NBA pick Gorgui Dieng.
"They’ve singled out a couple schools," said Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford. "We’re trying to find out why those three were targeted. It’s confusing, and it’s unfortunate because you do it that late. Now they’ve opened up a can of worms, because there are hundreds of schools not playing for state championships."
Findlay Prep has Arizona commit Craig Victor and three other Class of 2014 standouts: Kelly Oubre, Rashad Vaughn and Jonah Bolden. Prime Prep is the school of national top-five player Emmanuel Mudiay, who shocked the sport last month when he committed to Southern Methodist.
Among coaches, there is considerable finger-pointing about who or what triggered the sudden application of a directive that is nearly 10 months old. But all are hoping this is a short-term problem that is ironed out soon.
"I bet it’s worked out in a couple weeks," said one prominent coach.
Northwestern says forward Mike Turner is taking a leave of absence from the basketball team for personal reasons.
In a statement released Sunday, coach Chris Collins says his player is taking time to ''focus on aspects of his life other than basketball'' and that his status with the program will be revisited ''once the time is appropriate.''
Turner made three starts and appeared in all 32 games as a redshirt freshman last season. He averaged 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds.
Midway through their 10-mile run the Saturday before Labor Day, Hannah Telman and Becky Graves stumbled across a familiar face.
It was North Carolina coach Roy Williams out for a morning stroll on the John Nesbitt Loop in Wrightsville Beach.
Neither woman approached Williams the first time they passed him, but Telman decided she wasn't going to let the opportunity slip by again should they run by him a second time on their next lap.
Telman had spent the previous few days hastily putting together a fundraising run and barbecue to support her pastor's wife, Amy Louthan, who was in final preparations for surgery to remove a large brain tumor in the right side of her head. She hoped she might be able to drum up interest and publicity for her cause by persuading Williams to attend the event.
Just before Telman and Graves finished their run, they indeed encountered Williams a second time. Telman nervously approached the 63-year-old future hall of fame coach and asked if she could walk with him for a few minutes.
"It was a holiday weekend, he was out with his friend, and he was so kind and so gracious," Telman said Monday. "I told him about Amy and her situation. I said, 'I know it's a holiday and this is very forward of me, but if you could come and run a mile with us it would be extremely meaningful to us.' He said he couldn't run with us, but he would be happy to stop by."
Spreading word via flyers and social media that Williams might attend helped Telman transform a small-scale fundraiser into a meaningful one. Three times as many people agreed to walk or run as initially expected and the event raised more than $28,000, nearly tripling the already wildly optimistic target Telman had set for herself when she came up with the idea a few days earlier.
"My secret goal was $10,000, but the people I told that to were like, 'Oh, that would be great but don't get disappointed if it doesn't happen,'" Telman said. "It was a grandiose idea. I did not dream that we were going to walk out of that event with $28,000."
Telman feared Williams might not show up since she had no way of confirming with him after their chance encounter on the loop, but she probably would have been less anxious had she known his family's history with cancer.
Williams lost his mother to cardiac arrest while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer in 1992 and his father to cancer and emphysema in 2004. Last fall, he also underwent a 3 1/2-hour procedure to remove a tumor from his right kidney that doctors detected during a routine physical.
As a result of how cancer has touched his family, Williams has been at the forefront of the fight to eradicate the disease.
He has made several donations to the Lineberger Cancer Center in Chapel Hill and often visits the hospital after games to meet with cancer patients in hopes of lifting their spirits. He also organizes an annual breakfast and auction to support cancer research, doing anything from recruiting donors and corporate sponsors to seeking out Tar Heel-themed guest speakers like soccer star Mia Hamm or former NBA center Brad Daugherty.
"He has been the best partner you could ask for," UNC Lineberger director of external affairs Debbie Dibbert told Yahoo Sports last October. "He doesn't just lend his name, and that's the important thing. He is very personally invested."
Sure enough, Williams proved that again on Labor Day, arriving at the run exactly when he promised Telman he would. He generously signed autographs, posed for pictures and spent a few minutes chatting one-on-one with Louthan, herself a North Carolina grad who was eager to meet the Tar Heels coach.
Louthan, a 44-year-old mother of three, was scheduled to undergo a 12-hour surgery last Tuesday. Doctors won't know for sure whether the tumor is benign or malignant until they get test results back from the pathology lab.
What drove Telman to do whatever she could to help the Louthan family was both her friendship with Amy and the memory of her mother being diagnosed with a brain tumor more than a decade ago. Telman is elated that the fundraiser will help with Amy's medical bills, but she refuses to take credit for its success.
"It was definitely a miracle that happened," Telman said. "There was such a short amount of time for it to come together, and it was just too perfect."
Jalen Steele's injury-riddled career at Mississippi State is over.
The school announced Tuesday that Steele has "decided not to play his senior season and will instead focus on graduating in the spring."
The 6-foot-3 guard from Knoxville, Tenn., averaged 8.0 points and 2.0 rebounds over 76 career games. He shot 36.2 percent from 3-point range, making 125. He continually fought injuries, including two torn ACLs and a broken wrist, over a three-year span.
Mississippi State coach Rick Ray said in a statement that Steele has "battled through a lot of adversity, and it's important we do everything we can to support and help him earn his degree from Mississippi State."
The Bulldogs open the season on Nov. 8 against Prairie View A&M.
Former Indiana University basketball player Devan Dumes was found not guilty of attempted murder by a jury Tuesday.
The Marion County, Ind., prosecutor's office said Dumes also was found not guilty on charges of attempted carjacking and stealing a gun that prosecutors said was used to shoot Keith Jones on Jan. 11.
"The state failed to prove its case on all charges beyond a reasonable doubt," said Is******rael Cruz, Dumes' attorney. "I don't think the jury believed the alleged statement of Keith Jones. I don't believe the jury found it credible at all."
Dumes was accused of trying to steal Jones' car and shooting him in the neck at a meeting they arranged in a nightclub the night before.
But Cruz said it was Jones who threatened Dumes during that Jan. 11 encounter and said in court Monday that Jones wanted Dumes to deliver cocaine in order to pay off a $225 debt.
"Keith Jones increasingly got mad, pulled out the gun, and Devan defended himself," Cruz said during his opening statement. After the shooting, Jones drove to an Indianapolis hospital and spent about two weeks in intensive care before he was able to speak again. His account of events factored largely into the probable cause affidavit used to arrest and charge Dumes.
Prosecutor's office spokeswoman Peg McLeish said Tuesday that the office would not comment on the outcome of the trial.
Members of Dumes' defense team said there was not enough evidence to prove the gun belonged to the former IU player. Tuesday morning, they called Marion County forensic scientist Shelley Crispin as a witness, and she said the only DNA she found on the gun belonged to Jones.
Jones was the first witness called by prosecutors Monday, when he insisted his account was correct.
"While I'm talking, it's just like boom," Jones said. "I'm stunned. Bleeding all over the place."
During cross-examination, Cruz questioned Jones' decision to drive to Wishard Memorial Hospital from the scene of the incident at 39th Street and Graceland Avenue. IU Health Methodist Hospital was closer, Cruz said. He also asked Jones why he didn't call 911 instead.
Jones said he didn't think to call 911.
The Jan. 11 incident occurred two days after another incident that prompted charges against Dumes of criminal recklessness and carrying a handgun without a license. In that case, Dumes was accused of firing shots into a house after a dispute with a relative. Cruz said those charges have been dismissed.
Additional cases against Dumes are pending. They ******involve a charge of possessing illegal drugs and an unlicensed handgun from a July 24 incident in which he was stopped by police near 34th Street and Hillside Avenue.
Dumes, who also played at Eastern Michigan and Vincennes (Ind.), transferred to Indiana for the 2008-09 season. He played in 57 games over two seasons for the Hoosiers, averaging 9.5 points.
Ex-Indiana player found not guilty of attempted murder
Georgia Tech guard Chris Bolden has been suspended for the first three games of the season for an undisclosed violation of team rules.
Coach Brian Gregory announced Friday that Bolden, a sophomore, will miss three games, including the Nov. 8 opener against Presbyterian. Also included in the suspension is a game at Georgia on Nov. 15 and an exhibition game before the season.
Bolden averaged 7.3 points in 31 games as a freshman last season. He is one of four returning starters for the Yellow Jackets.
Gregory says "there has to be accountability" when "certain standards" are not met by players.
NCAA BRACKET PREVIEW: RANKING COLLEGE HOOPS TEAMS 68-1
Georgia Tech's Chris Bolden given 3-game suspension
The NCAA rejected a proposal from the University of Dayton that would have kept the event in the city for years to come, opting instead to allow other cities to bid on the rights to host the First Four from 2016-18 as well. Dayton remains a strong candidate to win the bid, but the NCAA's position suggests it's serious about considering other options.
There's no harm in the NCAA exploring other potential host sites, but the organization would be wise not to discount the large crowds, consistent media coverage and spirited welcome receptions Dayton provides.
The First Four already carries enough of a stigma as the play-in round to qualify for the round of 64. It would only heighten that if the games occurred in front of sparse crowds in a disinterested host city.
There are other promising options for the NCAA, however, if it decides to uproot the First Four from Dayton.
It could rotate the First Four among similar mid-sized cities with a history of supporting college basketball, like Omaha or Kansas City for example. It could house the First Four in a different historic basketball arena each year such as the Palestra in Philadelphia or Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Or it could abandon the idea of a host city altogether and play each individual game in the arena where the winner would play its round of 64 game two days later.
All of these are viable possibilities and worthy of consideration. Still, the NCAA has a good thing going with the tradition it has built in Dayton, and it might not be smart to mess with that.
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