The Morning Dish – Monday, November 8th
Roberts to Sit One Game: Mississippi State fans breathed a sigh of relief when pre-season All-American Lawrence Roberts was suspended for only one game for NCAA infractions. Roberts, who declared for the NBA Draft last season (without signing an agent), attended a Portland Trail Blazers workout that the Blazers had paid for – a violation. Roberts then repaid the money for his airline ticket, hotel and meals, and had receipts available for the NCAA. Roberts, the SEC player of the year last season with 17 points and 10 rebounds per game average, backed out of the NBA Draft in time to return to Starkville. He’ll miss this week’s game against Fairfield in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
Maybank Out for the Season: St. John’s has announced that JuCo transfer guard Jermaine Maybank will miss the entire 2004-05 season after rupturing his left patella tendon in the school’s Red-white scrimmage last Thursday. Maybank, a Bronx native, transferred to St. John’s from Independence Community College (Kansas), where he averaged 12 points and 6 rebounds per game last season. In a release, head coach Norm Thompson said that Maybank will have surgery on Wednesday.
Academics Stop Gael: St. Mary’s senior guard Paul Marigney has been ruled academically ineligible for the remainder of the semester, and will miss up to nine games. Marigney, an All-West Coast Conference selection last season, averaged 16 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Marigney told the San Francisco Chronicle that he was struggling in only one class and fully expects to return for the first game after the semester, on December 11th against Hawaii.
Kennedy Extended: Southeastern Louisiana has announced the signing of head coach Billy Kennedy to a three year contract extension, which will keep him on the Lions sideline through the 2007-08 season. Last season Southeastern Louisiana went 20-9, with a Southland Conference co-championship, and a Southland Coach of the Year award for Kennedy. Kennedy graduated from SLU in 1986, and has a record of 56-85 in five seasons for the Lions, and an overall record of 80-117, including two seasons as head coach at Centenary.
McNeese Reports Violations: McNeese State has announced that they have reported NCAA violations in the men’s basketball and men’s and women’s cross country and track programs. According to a release, the school has admitted secondary violations in the men’s basketball program in the recruiting of three players, as well as improper out-of-season workouts, and that three coaches and three athletes (not specified) had acted unethically by not cooperating with investigators. Head coach Tic Price stated that his staff would cut back on recruiting visits as a penalty. Last season, assistant coach John Dillard and Track and Field head coach Steve Baker resigned when the allegations were first mentioned. Additionally, the school announced that JuCo transfer center Darris Manciel won’t play in the season’s first six games, though it’s not known if his penalty is related to the infractions or for other reasons.
Banners and Price: UConn opened their season in style with a 97-64 exhibition win over D-II Bridgeport on Thursday, but the real story was the appearance of freshman A.J. Price during the 2004 National Championship banner raising. Price, who spent 10 days in critical condition last month due to a brain hemorrhage, made his first appearance on campus since entering the hospital. He was welcomed with a standing ovation. Price remains at his home in Amityville, New York while he undergoes rehabilitation, and it’s likely that he will not return to the Huskies this season. In the game, Denham Brown scored 19, while Charlie Villanueva and freshman Rudy Gay each tallied 17 points.
I’m from Maryland, Nobody can Beat Me! Maryland junior forward Nik Caner-Medley has settled his arrest case with prosecutors over his offseason skirmish in Portland, Maine’s Old Port area this past summer. An intoxicated Caner-Medley took off his shirt and yelled threats against other patrons of the district on July 23rd, resulting in a disorderly conduct misdemeanor charge. Caner-Medley averaged 12 points and almost 5 rebounds per contest last season. Head coach Gary Williams did not discuss any disciplinary action. Caner-Medley will have the charge dismissed provided he pays a $200 fine and completes 22 days of community service at the Pine Tree Camp for disabled children next summer.
