Post by elp525 on Aug 18, 2011 5:54:33 GMT -5
Wednesday August 17, 2011
by Mike Casazza
Charleston Daily Mail
MORGANTOWN - West Virginia freshman basketball player Tommie McCune is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing in Saginaw County District Court today after being charged with retail fraud and conspiring to commit third-degree retail fraud in June.
One problem: McCune is in Italy as part of an exhibition tour with the Mountaineers and a coach who apparently was not aware of his situation. WVU performed a one-hour clinic with military children in sixth grade and under, scrimmaged the Aviano team for 10 minutes, scrimmaged Illinois for 20 minutes and had a dunk contest in which McCune participated.
WVU Coach Bob Huggins released a brief statement in the afternoon saying he'd just been made aware of the incident and would handle the matter internally.
McCune, 18, was charged June 21 for shoplifting merchandise worth fewer than $200 at a local Walmart. He was with a former Saginaw (Mich.) High teammate at the time.
The 6-foot-8, 190-pound McCune was ranked No. 20 at his position by Rivals.com and No. 100 overall in the 2011 class. Scout.com ranked McCune No. 26 among power forwards while ESPN.com ranked him No. 24. Rivals.com listed McCune as a four-star recruit. He averaged 16 points and 9.0 rebounds as a senior and 22 points and 11 rebounds as a junior. Saginaw won the Saginaw Valley League championship last season and the state championship when McCune was a freshman.
The Mountaineers did receive good news Wednesday. Freshman point guard Gary Browne, who didn't accompany the team on the trip last week, was cleared by the NCAA Eligibility Center and can resume participation immediately.
Browne had played in a summer league in Pittsburgh with the Mountaineers and practiced with the team before the Italy trip, but found out late he wasn't permitted to go.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Browne is from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, but played his senior season at Arlington Country Day School, in Jacksonville, Fla. He averaged 11 points, 7.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game and shot 83 percent from the free throw line and 39 percent from 3-point range.
He's also been a member of the Puerto Rico national team program since he was 14 years old.
by Mike Casazza
Charleston Daily Mail
MORGANTOWN - West Virginia freshman basketball player Tommie McCune is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing in Saginaw County District Court today after being charged with retail fraud and conspiring to commit third-degree retail fraud in June.
One problem: McCune is in Italy as part of an exhibition tour with the Mountaineers and a coach who apparently was not aware of his situation. WVU performed a one-hour clinic with military children in sixth grade and under, scrimmaged the Aviano team for 10 minutes, scrimmaged Illinois for 20 minutes and had a dunk contest in which McCune participated.
WVU Coach Bob Huggins released a brief statement in the afternoon saying he'd just been made aware of the incident and would handle the matter internally.
McCune, 18, was charged June 21 for shoplifting merchandise worth fewer than $200 at a local Walmart. He was with a former Saginaw (Mich.) High teammate at the time.
The 6-foot-8, 190-pound McCune was ranked No. 20 at his position by Rivals.com and No. 100 overall in the 2011 class. Scout.com ranked McCune No. 26 among power forwards while ESPN.com ranked him No. 24. Rivals.com listed McCune as a four-star recruit. He averaged 16 points and 9.0 rebounds as a senior and 22 points and 11 rebounds as a junior. Saginaw won the Saginaw Valley League championship last season and the state championship when McCune was a freshman.
The Mountaineers did receive good news Wednesday. Freshman point guard Gary Browne, who didn't accompany the team on the trip last week, was cleared by the NCAA Eligibility Center and can resume participation immediately.
Browne had played in a summer league in Pittsburgh with the Mountaineers and practiced with the team before the Italy trip, but found out late he wasn't permitted to go.
The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Browne is from Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, but played his senior season at Arlington Country Day School, in Jacksonville, Fla. He averaged 11 points, 7.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game and shot 83 percent from the free throw line and 39 percent from 3-point range.
He's also been a member of the Puerto Rico national team program since he was 14 years old.
