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| | Wednesday, December 29 | |||||
ESPN.com | ||||||
| Missouri freshman forward Kareem Rush had his suspension reduced from 14 games
to nine by a NCAA appeals committee, Missouri athletics director Mike Alden said on Wednesday.
Rush has already missed two games. The school suspended him and then declared him ineligible after he admitted to Missouri that he received extra benefits while playing for an AAU team. Word of the extra benefits first surfaced after Rush met with federal authorities investigating alleged tax evasion by his former AAU coach Myron Piggie. "We appreciate the quick turnaround on this and hope this offers closure on the subject," Alden said. "It doesn't do any good to say anymore."The NCAA initially ruled Rush ineligible for half the season but allowed the Tigers to make an appeal Wednesday. Rush is projected to return to the lineup Jan. 29 against Texas A&M. He'll miss games against Kentucky in New Orleans, Winthrop, at Iowa State, Colorado, Kansas State, at Baylor and against Kansas over the next three-plus weeks. "We are happy to put this situation behind us, especially for Kareem," Missouri coach Quin Snyder said. "We are looking forward to getting on with the rest of the season."Rush played in eight games this season before the suspension, averaging 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds for the Tigers (7-3). Alden said Rush will also have to pay back $1,800 for extra benefits, which included costs for a prom, a tuxedo and a homecoming dance outfit. Because no one has admitted giving Rush the money, the funds will be transferred to a charity once they are repaid. Rush's older brother, JaRon, is still serving an indefinite suspension at UCLA. Sources have confirmed that JaRon Rush has admitted to accepting extra benefits from the same AAU team as his brother, as well as receiving $200 from Los Angeles-based agent Jerome Stanley -- a charge Stanley has denied. Meanwhile, Oklahoma State's Andre Williams is also serving a suspension for potentially receiving extra benefits while playing for Piggie two years ago. The NCAA was expected to meet with federal authorities Wednesday to go over their findings in this case. Sources have told ESPN.com that the NCAA wants to tackle the issue of extra benefits at the AAU and high school level but have found it to be too impractical. Sonny Vaccaro, the head of adidas' summer basketball program, told ESPN.com that the majority of high-profile players would be ineligible if the NCAA tried to punish them for accepting extra benefits prior to enrolling in college. | ALSO SEE Missouri appeals NCAA ruling on Rush's eligibility Feds to share info with NCAA in Piggie-AAU case Report: JaRon Rush told UCLA officials he accepted money NCAA: Missouri's Rush must miss half of Tigers' games Rush brothers not paid in college, says former AAU coach | |||||