OmahaBound
05-17-2007, 02:33 PM
Mike Jones has been dismissed from the USC men's basketball team for academic reasons, just one semester after the former Lower Richland High School star transfered into the program.
Jones met with USC coach Dave Odom Thursday morning. The team was set to release a statement Thursday afternoon.
Jones, a 6-foot-7 forward, spent the spring semester at South Carolina after transfering from Syracuse, where he played in 11 games as a reserve freshman. Jones cited homesickness as his reason for joining the Gamecocks.
Odom said last month that Jones was not participating in the team's offseason activity in order to concentrate on his academics. First semester ended two weeks ago, and the first summer session began this week.
Jones could not be reached for comment. He was a concensus top 50 recruit coming out of Lower Richland, where he was named South Carolina's Mr. Basketball for the 2005-06 season.
When he transfered in last December, Jones was the third highly touted player to do so in a six-month span. Sophomore guard Devan Downey (who left Cincinnati) and junior guard Zam Fredrick (Georgia Tech) are both expected to start next season for the Gamecocks.
Looks like it will be another long year.
Jones met with USC coach Dave Odom Thursday morning. The team was set to release a statement Thursday afternoon.
Jones, a 6-foot-7 forward, spent the spring semester at South Carolina after transfering from Syracuse, where he played in 11 games as a reserve freshman. Jones cited homesickness as his reason for joining the Gamecocks.
Odom said last month that Jones was not participating in the team's offseason activity in order to concentrate on his academics. First semester ended two weeks ago, and the first summer session began this week.
Jones could not be reached for comment. He was a concensus top 50 recruit coming out of Lower Richland, where he was named South Carolina's Mr. Basketball for the 2005-06 season.
When he transfered in last December, Jones was the third highly touted player to do so in a six-month span. Sophomore guard Devan Downey (who left Cincinnati) and junior guard Zam Fredrick (Georgia Tech) are both expected to start next season for the Gamecocks.
Looks like it will be another long year.