CLEVELAND -- LeBron James has yet to make a legal move to get back on the basketball court.

James, the nation's top high school player and the projected No. 1 pick in this summer's NBA draft, did not appeal his banishment from playing as was expected Monday, but will likely do so before his school's next game.

	“	You know, if I had known I was violating anything, I would've never done it. I would've never jeopardized my eligibility. I would've never jeopardized my team. ”
		— LeBron James from his interview with Deion Sanders

St. Vincent-St. Mary will play in the Isles Prime Time Shootout in Trenton, N.J., this weekend.

"I spoke to the athletic director, and they're clearly going to bring this to a judge," said tournament promoter Martin Johnson. "I'm optimistic about the chances of LeBron playing this weekend."

And while James was temporarily stripped of his eligibility, the Fighting Irish (14-1) -- who forfeited a game in which James was ruled ineligible -- stayed No. 1 in the latest USA Today rankings for the fourth straight week.

James had been expected to appeal the decision, but his lawyer did not contact the Ohio High School Athletic Association or Summit County Courts on Monday.

The 6-foot-8 senior was declared ineligible on Friday by OHSAA commissioner Clair Muscaro for accepting two free sports jerseys worth a combined $845 from a clothing store.

James' attorney, Fred Nance, did not return phone messages.

On Tuesday, James said in an exclusive interview with former NFL star Deion Sanders on CBS' "The Early Show" that he was sorry he took the "throwback" jerseys.

"If I had known I was violating anything, I would've never done it," James told Sanders. "I would've never jeopardized my eligibility. I would've never jeopardized my team.

"When I went in (the store), you know, I was just going in there as being, you know, another player, and they was trying to reward me for my good grades," added James, who has said he has a 3.5 grade-point average.

"Yes, I'm sorry," James also said in the interview. "There's nothing I'm more sorry about, you know, than disrespecting my teammates. I love them to death. I'm so proud of them, you know, to be able to stick it out for me."

St. Vincent-St. Mary coach Dru Joyce said James returned the jerseys to the store last Friday.

Store owner Robert Rosenthal refused comment when told of Joyce's claim.

If James plans to appeal the decision by the OHSAA, he must do so to the agency in writing. The appeal would be heard by a seven-member board of control -- not including Muscaro -- on Feb. 13 in Columbus.

OHSAA spokesman Bob Goldring said the appeal could be heard before that if the panel decided to have an emergency meeting.

School officials have said they will abide by the OHSAA's ruling and not contest James' exclusion for the remainder of the season.

James, who is expected to be the No. 1 pick in this year's NBA draft, sat out the first game of his career Sunday, and his school barely won without him, beating Canton McKinley 63-62.

Afterward, University of Akron police and James' own security personnel kept reporters away from him, clearing Rhodes Arena so Sanders could talk alone with the 18-year-old superstar.

James hasn't spoken to local reporters since being ruled ineligible.

The OHSAA found that the Cleveland store gave James the Gale Sayers and Wes Unseld jerseys for free, in exchange for James posing for pictures to be displayed on the walls.

Muscaro ruled James broke an amateur bylaw "by capitalizing on athletic fame by receiving money or gifts of monetary value."

St. Vincent-St. Mary has four regular-season games remaining before the state playoffs.