South Florida's Gus Gilchrist has been accused of breaking NCAA rules, like when he allegedly accepted tickets to an NBA Finals game in June. (St. Petersburg Times photo)
When the problems at South Florida were addressed recently, someone told us that Bretty McMurphy’s story was somewhat petty in nature; McMurphy had apparently butted heads with the school’s administration for whatever reason, and it seemed the longtime journalist was chasing ghosts. I can’t speak how true that is.
Besides, how does that explain what’s currently going on?
The 7-1 Bulls have suspended Ohio State transfer Anthony Crater for failing a drug test. His second drug test, in fact.
What kind of drug test? That information is protected.
The sources? Anonymous, of course.
Crater will wear out his ass on the bench for 20 percent of the season now, meaning he won’t have a chance to play again until some time in January.
On Wednesday, USF coach Stan Heath and USF senior associate athletic director Barry Clements did not return phone calls about Crater. On Thursday, Heath wouldn’t discuss Crater’s situation. His only comment, via a text message, is he would “address Anthony Crater’s transition to playing at our next press conference.”
Heath’s next press conference is expected to be next week.
Crater just gave South Florida a PR hit it really needed to avoid. He was also one of the three suspects in the Stan Heath’s job (according to the someone we spoke to above) is not in any sort of jeopardy, still.
Besides USF’s alleged violations, Crater — along with teammates Dominique Jones and Justin Leemow — were the primary suspects in the April 2009 theft of nearly $8,000 worth of items stolen from former players Gaby Belardo and Jesus Verdejo, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office report.
Going to be a long road back for Crater to fight off this reputation.
And there’s the story that Gus Gilchrist’s parents told to the St. Petersburg Times. It all goes back to the story linked at the top of the post. Gus Gilchrist has allegedly been a beneficiary of elongated car rides and tickets to the NBA Finals in Orlando. Due to these allegations, the NCAA is now investigating the South Florida program. Here’s what his father, Augustus, had to say.
“My son was here with me watching the game on TV when they said he was at the game. It’s a flat-out lie,” the elder Gilchrist said. “He was nowhere near that place. We (had) proof of his flight to show the athletic director. Our reputation is at risk here.”
The parents apparently have flight documentation of where he was and can refute him being in Orlando. (The family lives in Maryland.) Sounds plausible, sure, and if the documentation is legitimate, then McMurphy’s sources may have failed him a bit here. Someone is very bitter about the USF program, and it’s beginning to look like Stan Heath and his staff may not be guilty of all that’s been accused, but it seems highly unlikely they’re all clean.
The timetable on the NCAA’s investigation isn’t known. It could be swift, though, and penalties put in for this year aren’t out of the question.
Parents refute Gilchrist took illegal trips {St. Petersburg Times}
USF guard suspended; NCAA investigation underway {Fanhouse}
