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By Kent Larsen
Despite Reduction, Clerical Error Costs Bower Four Games
MADISON, WISCONSIN -- While the NCAA reduced the suspension penalty
for Wisconsin's LDS guard Ricky Bower, he will still miss a total of
four games because of the clerical error, along with 17 of the team's
practices. Bower, who was declared ineligible last week, suffered the
suspension because his high school failed to send transcripts to the
NCAA. In part, his return late last summer from an LDS mission
contributed to the ineligibility because Wisconsin had already done
its final check of athlete academic compliance before Bower committed
to play there.
The ineligibility was discovered last week in a routine check of
academic compliance. When University officials discovered the
difficulty, Bower was immediately removed from the team, and
officials sought to have him reinstated immediately. However, the
NCAA's clearinghouse was only able to clear Bower's eligibility
Friday, and, under its rules, suspended him for the next nine games
and 34 practices, half of what he had participated in while
ineligible.
The University appealed the suspension today, and managed to get the
suspension halved again, with credit for those games he had already
missed. Meanwhile, the University's case will be forwarded to the
NCAA enforcement staff to see if the team will have to forfeit any
victories because of the infraction.
Sources:
NCAA reduces Wisconsin guard's suspension
CNNSI (AP) 20Feb01 S2
Bower out for nine games
Milwaukee WI Journal-Sentinel 16Feb01 S2
By Mark Stewart: Journal Sentinel staff
NCAA suspends him for academic mix-up
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