College Sports Capsules: Drexel moves on from arrest
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Bruiser Flint wants to focus on basketball, not a possible trial.
He loved the sights, sounds and competitive basketball Drexel experienced on last week's tour of Turkey that let Flint, the Dragons' 10th-year coach, get an early look at an unexpected new lineup.
Drexel's summer vacation in Cesme and Istanbul came at a perfect time for the troubled program. The trip let the Dragons start to rebound from the shattering news that two players were arrested in July. Starting point guard Jamie Harris and backup forward Kevin Phillip face robbery, theft and weapons charges. They are indefinitely suspended.
"Everybody was in shock," Flint said Thursday. "We still are in shock a little bit."
Harris, a 5-foot-10 point guard out of New York City, started all 32 games for the Dragons last season and averaged 14.5 points. Phillip, a 6-6 forward from Brooklyn, averaged 2.9 points and 3.1 rebounds as a reserve in 31 games.
Flint insisted the legal woes won't affect the Dragons this season.
"We tried not to harp on it. Everyone understands what happened," Flint said. "We just hope the best for those guys. We discussed it a little bit. I wouldn't say we spent a whole lot of time on it. We discussed it as much as we needed to. Guys sat around talked about what we needed to do. We're ready to move on to the next chapter."
Authorities allege that the two 21-year-old players and a third student planned to take money believed to be in an off-campus apartment in West Philadelphia, but ended up with only two cell phones. Harris' attorney had previously called the charges "unfounded."
Flint said the lingering legal issues make it tough for to open up about his thoughts on the pending case.
"I just get some texts from their parents and stuff like that saying they're OK," Flint said.
So it was off to Turkey to work with the players they do have on the roster. The Dragons played the Egyptian under-20 squad, and Turkish pro teams in the week they were there, bonding over what Flint called "an amazing experience." The Dragons did everything from visit the Grand Theater of Ephesus, traditional Turkish baths and feast on lamb kabobs.
Flint returned Monday night and was back in his office Wednesday ready to hit the recruiting trail.
"One of the tough things about being a coach is that you never know what they're going to do," Flint said. "Any coach worth his weight is going to preach about staying out of trouble and doing the right things. But you're dealing with 17- to 22-year-old kids and sometimes they make mistakes."
Ex-IU player Leary accused of stealing appliances
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Former Indiana University basketball player Todd Leary, who is facing up to three years in prison for his role in a mortgage fraud scheme, appeared in court in Noblesville on Thursday on charges that he stole appliances from foreclosed homes.
A Hamilton County judge entered a not guilty plea for the 39-year-old Leary on burglary and theft charges, said Jeff Wehmueller, administrative chief deputy prosecutor. Leary, who lives in the affluent northern Indianapolis suburb of Carmel, told the judge he would hire his own attorney. He was still being held on $25,000 bond after the hearing.
An attorney who represented Leary in the mortgage fraud case did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment.
Leary was arrested Wednesday following a five-month investigation.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Leary paid two other men to move refrigerators and other appliances out of foreclosed homes and then sold them to an Indianapolis appliance store. When investigators questioned Leary, he allegedly told them that he worked for a company that bought, repaired and then resold foreclosed homes. Leary told police that he picked the homes off an auction listing on the Hamilton County sheriff's website. But the sheriff's department denied ever selling any homes to any such company or to Leary, and the homes that were burglarized were tracked to other owners.
Leary pleaded guilty in July to a felony charge of misappropriating title insurance escrow funds from a Fort Wayne company. His agreement with Allen County prosecutors calls for him to face up to three years in prison, with that cut in half if he pays nearly $295,000 in restitution before his October sentencing hearing.
Prosecutors said Leary worked for a title insurance broker who pleaded guilty in a $2.7 million fraud case.
Leary played for Indiana University from 1989-94, including on its 1992 NCAA Final Four team. He averaged 5.0 points over his four seasons playing for Bob Knight, with his best year as a senior in 1993-94 when he averaged 8.3 points and started 12 games. He started doing IU's radio broadcasts in the 2001-02 season.
Leary was arrested on the earlier charges at Assembly Hall in Bloomington in February just minutes before he was scheduled to work as an analyst for a men's basketball game between in-state rivals Indiana and Purdue.
-- Charles Wilson
UConn given another week to respond to NCAA
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — The NCAA is giving Connecticut another week to respond to allegations that the school's basketball program committed eight major rules violations.
The university was expected to respond by Aug. 20, but that deadline was moved last month to Sept. 3 based on requests by the coaches cited in the allegations.
UConn said the date has now been set at Sept. 7.
Former assistants Beau Archibald and Patrick Sellers resigned amid accusations that they lied to investigators, who found hundreds of improper calls and texts from UConn staff to recruits.
Coach Jim Calhoun also is cited in the NCAA report for failing to promote an atmosphere of compliance.
The school says compliance officials will go over the document before it is released to the public to ensure it meets state privacy and Freedom of Information Act requirements.
ACC announces composite basketball schedule
GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) — Duke will play two of the other three teams that reached last season's Final Four, while North Carolina will face Kentucky and Texas in basketball this year.
The Atlantic Coast Conference on Thursday released its composite schedule, and it includes significant nonconference games for all four teams based in the state.
The Blue Devils will have a busy first week of December. They play Michigan State on Dec. 1 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, then face Butler three days later in East Rutherford, N.J., in a rematch of the national title game.
North Carolina State visits Syracuse on Dec. 4 and hosts Arizona on Dec. 19. New Wake Forest coach Jeff Bzdelik makes his debut Nov. 12 against Stetson, and the Demon Deacons host Gonzaga on Jan. 2.
Clemson to face Michigan, play in Paradise Jam
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) — Brad Brownell's first year as head basketball coach at Clemson features a trip to the Virgin Islands and a showdown with Michigan prior to his inaugural Atlantic Coast Conference season.
The schedule released by the school on Thursday shows the Tigers facing Michigan at Littlejohn Coliseum on Nov. 30 as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Michigan beat Clemson in an opening-round NCAA tournament game two seasons ago.
Clemson will also take part in the Paradise Jam from Nov. 19-22, starting with Long Beach State. The Tigers will face either Old Dominion or St. Peter's in the second game.
The Tigers will attempt to end their 54-game losing streak at North Carolina on Jan. 18. The Tar Heels visit Clemson on Feb. 12.
Fla. St. has 11 games vs. NCAA tournament teams
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State in 2010-11 will play at least 11 games against teams that took part in this year's NCAA Tournament.
The basketball schedule released Thursday features a home game against National Champion Duke on Jan. 12 and at least 14 national television appearances. Other tournament teams on tap include Ohio State, Florida, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech and Clemson.
The Seminoles open at home with North Florida on Nov. 12, host Ohio State in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge on Nov. 30 and begin Atlantic Coast Conference play at home with Clemson on Dec. 12.
Florida State opens with homestanding Hawaii in the Diamond Head Classic Dec. 20-25. The Seminoles then face NCAA runner-up Butler or Baylor, another NCAA Tournament team.
Top Missouri recruit will miss start of season
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A highly regarded basketball recruit will not start the season for the Missouri Tigers.
Tony Mitchell has not enrolled at the university for academic reasons and is currently ineligible to play basketball. Coach Mike Anderson says in a statement that he is hopeful Mitchell can join the program in the spring semester.
Mitchell is a 6-foot-8 forward from Dallas considered one of the top recruits in the nation. He averaged 20.5 points and 13.2 rebounds last season.
German Giffey added to UConn roster
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut has added a 19-year-old swingman from Germany a day after announcing that sophomore forward Ater Majok withdrew from school.
Niels Giffey will take Majok's spot on the roster, giving the Huskies six freshmen for the upcoming season.
The 6-foot-7 Giffey joins guards Shabazz Napier and Jeremy Lamb, along with forwards Roscoe Smith, Tyler Olander and Michael Bradley as newcomers to the Huskies.
The school's announcement Thursday comes a day before UConn is due to submit a response to NCAA allegations of serious recruiting violations in the men's basketball program that could cost the team some scholarships.
Maine hoops team announces non-conference schedule
ORONO, Maine (AP) — The Maine basketball team has scheduled games for the upcoming season against perennial powers Maryland and Notre Dame.
Black Bears Coach Ted Woodward announced the team's non-conference schedule on Thursday.
Besides Maryland and Notre Dame, other headliners on the schedule include Massachusetts of the Atlantic 10 and 2009 NIT champion Penn State.
The Black Bears open the season Nov. 12 at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. Their home opener is Nov. 19 against the University of Maine-Machias.
Former Oklahoma basketball player Ken Pryor dies
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) — Former University of Oklahoma basketball player Ken Pryor, whose basket lifted the Sooners into the 1947 NCAA championship game, has died.
School spokesman Mike Houck said Thursday that Pryor died on Tuesday at the age of 85. Houck did not know the cause of death, which was first reported by The Oklahoman.
Pryor's bank shot with 10 seconds remaining in a 1947 semifinal game gave OU a 55-54 win over Texas and sent the Sooners into the finals against Holy Cross. Holy Cross — with future Hall-of-Famer Bob Cousy — beat Oklahoma, 58-47.
Pryor played for the amateur Phillips 66ers for three years after college, then worked for the oil company before opening an insurance agency in Norman in 1963. He retired in 1990.
Women's Basketball
Doty's knee surgery deemed successful
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — Connecticut says guard Caroline Doty has had successful surgery to repair the torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee.
The school says Doty, who had the surgery Tuesday at the University of Connecticut Health Center, should be able to return for the start of the 2011-12 season.
The junior tore her ACL in late July while practicing.
She missed the second half of her freshman season after a similar injury to the same knee. She also missed her senior season in high school after tearing that ACL while playing soccer.
Doty started 38 of 39 games last season and averaged under 7 points for the undefeated Huskies. UConn won a second consecutive national championship, extending its winning streak to 78 games.
Baseball
MSU-Billings baseball signs Clancy player
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Montana State-Billings baseball coach Rob Bishop has announced the signing of former Helena Senators player Victor "Austin" Rue of Clancy.
Rue attended Jefferson High in Boulder and played third base for Bishop last year at Miles Community College. Rue batted .305 with 22 stolen bases and 39 runs scored.
As a senior with the Senators, he hit .397 with 81 hits. He was successful on 23 of 28 stolen bases.
Bishop says Rue has very good speed and is a solid defender at any infield spot.
