College Capsules: Cristobal says FIU healing after Berry's death

MIAMI — FIU coach Mario Cristobal says his team has grown closer following the slaying of running back Kendall Berry.

Speaking Monday on a preseason videoconference, Cristobal clearly did not want to say much about the ongoing grief following Berry’s death. Cristobal has made very few public comments about the March 25 killing, but noted that his team is merely trying to remain focused on the coming season and not the tragedy.

“Kendall will always be a brother of our family,” Cristobal said. “We’re a strong football team. We’ll always keep him in our mind and we’re looking forward to a great football season.”

Berry was stabbed to death outside the front doors of a recreation center on FIU’s main campus, an incident was witnessed by a number of shocked students.

Quentin Rashad Wyche, who once tried out for FIU’s football team, has been charged with Berry’s murder and remains held without bond in a Miami jail awaiting trial. He turned himself in to police about 24 hours after the killing, and court documents show that Berry was stabbed after he and Wyche fought over Berry’s girlfriend.

Wyche tried unsuccessfully to make FIU’s team as a walk-on last summer.

“We’ve had a great offseason,” Cristobal said. “Guys have really been working hard. And you know, one beautiful thing about college football, it always brings groups of young men together with a common goal and a common purpose. These are strong-minded young men that have very, very high standards and goals, and I’ll tell you what, it’s been a great, great offseason.”

Berry had 164 all-purpose yards in limited use as a freshman in 2007, appearing in all 12 FIU games that season. He sat out the 2008 season with a knee injury and then had some breakout moments in 2009. He rushed for three touchdowns in a span of 13 minutes against Middle Tennessee on Nov. 7 and followed that up with two more scores the following week in a win over North Texas.

Berry finished last season with seven touchdowns, six of them rushing, and would likely have been a key player for FIU this fall.

FIU opens training camp Aug. 9, and starts the new season Sept. 11 against Rutgers. The Panthers were picked to finish sixth in the Sun Belt Conference this season, according to the league’s preseason poll released Monday.

NCAA investigating one of SC’s athletic programs

COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman says the NCAA is investigating a possible rules violation of one of its athletic programs.

Hyman released a statement on Sunday night saying the school has cooperated and will continue working with the NCAA on its inquiry, although did not detail what program was being investigated.

Tight end Weslye Saunders has been identified by various media reports as the target of the investigation. Saunders would not discuss his conversations with the NCAA when reached by phone Monday.

“I don’t want to talk right now,” he told The Associated Press.

Coach Steve Spurrier told The (Columbia) State that he has no knowledge of Saunders breaking any rules.

“All I know is they had talked to him, and talked to some players at North Carolina. That’s all I know,” Spurrier told the paper. “Whatever comes (of it), we’ll just have to wait and see.

“We’re not going to look the other way like possibly Southern California did,” Spurrier continued. “We’re going to abide by the rules.”

Last month, the NCAA hit Southern California with a two-year bowl ban, four years of probation, loss of scholarships and forced the Trojans to forfeit an entire year’s games for lack of institutional control for providing improper benefits to athletes.

Hyman, who was out of the office, said through a spokesman Monday he did not want to expand on his earlier statement.

Calls and messages to Spurrier, returning from a celebrity golf tournament in Nevada, were not immediately returned. Calls to Saunders’ father, Barry, a news columnist at a Raleigh, N.C., newspaper, also were not returned.

The NCAA has been investigating the North Carolina football program.

Saunders is a 6-foot-5, 280 pound senior from Durham, N.C. He was South Carolina’s third-leading receiver last season with a career-best 32 catches and three touchdowns. Saunders considered jumping to the NFL, but decided to play his senior season with the Gamecocks.

Saunders was suspended briefly in January for missing the team’s first meeting of the offseason. However, he was reinstated by Spurrier about a week later.

Pitt’s Sheard charged with assault, suspended

PITTSBURGH — Pitt defensive end Jabaal Sheard has been suspended indefinitely after being accused of throwing another man through the glass door of an art gallery.

Police say Sheard was in a fight early Sunday and had to be pepper sprayed after he threw the man through the door of La Fond Galleries.

Pitt spokesman E.J. Borghetti says Sheard has been suspended from team activities while the athletic department investigates.

Sheard was arraigned Sunday on charges including aggravated assault and resisting arrest. Police say charges are possible against the other man. Borghetti declined to comment on Sheard’s behalf.

The 21-year-old Sheard is from Hollywood Hills, Fla. He tallied five sacks while starting all 13 games for the Panthers last season.

Report: Florida, NCAA probe violation allegations

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida and the NCAA are investigating an allegation that former Gators offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey received $100,000 from a representative of a sports agent before last season ended, ESPN.com reported Monday.

The allegation stated Pouncey received the money between Florida’s loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference title game and its Sugar Bowl win over Cincinnati, according to the report. The alleged representative was not named.

“We were made aware of some information in early June that we reported to law enforcement and we then shared with the NCAA and the SEC,” Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said in a statement. “At this time, we have no information that has indicated that there are any compliance issues for the University of Florida.”

Pouncey was selected 18th overall in this year’s NFL draft. His brother, Mike, will be a senior offensive lineman with the Gators next season.

Pouncey’s agent is Joel Segal, but the allegation is not necessarily tied to him. A message left at Segal’s office Monday seeking comment was not immediately returned.

If the allegation is true, Pouncey could be ruled ineligible for the Sugar Bowl game and Florida might have to vacate the victory among other potential penalties.

The investigation also is the latest involving sports agent-related inquiries in college football.

North Carolina announced last week that the NCAA is investigating its football program. South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman said the NCAA is investigating a possible rules violation of one of its athletic programs.

Fiesta campaign donations claims referred to AG

PHOENIX — The Arizona Attorney General’s Office has been asked to conduct a criminal investigation into claims that current and former Fiesta Bowl employees made illegal campaign contributions to politicians friendly to the bowl.

Secretary of State Ken Bennett requested the probe in a letter to Attorney General Terry Goddard last Friday. Bennett’s office has been investigating the Fiesta Bowl since a complaint was filed in late December.

In an investigation in December by The Arizona Republic, past and present employees told the newspaper that they were encouraged to write checks to specific candidates and were reimbursed by the bowl. Such contributions would violate state election laws. Fiesta Bowl officials have consistently denied that contributions were coordinated or reimbursed.

Goddard’s office said Monday it has received Bennett’s letter and is reviewing the matter. It declined further comment.

College Basketball

UConn AD named head of NCAA basketball committee

STORRS, Conn. — The athletic director at Connecticut, which faces allegations of NCAA violations in its men’s basketball program, has been picked to chair the NCAA Division I men’s basketball committee.

Hathaway is working on the school’s response to NCAA allegations of eight major rules infractions in the Huskies’ men’s basketball program. That response is due next month.

Jeff Hathaway will serve as chairman for the 2011-12 academic year. His appointment comes as the NCAA works to implement its new $10.8 billion television agreement with Turner Sports and CBS and expand its championship tournament from 65 to 68 teams.

UConn’s athletic director since 2003, Hathway’s name also had been mentioned in connection with the athletic director’s job at Maryland, his alma mater.