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NCAA reinstates UCLA's Rush

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Posted: Tuesday February 29, 2000 09:13 PM

JaRon Rush returns just in time for the Bruins to make a run for the NCAA Tournament. Tom Hauck/Allsport

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- UCLA forward JaRon Rush's 29-game suspension was reduced to nine games Monday, making him eligible to play for the Bruins on Saturday against top-ranked Stanford.

The NCAA subcommittee on student-athlete reinstatement, responding to UCLA's appeal of the suspension, informed the university of its decision Monday.

Thursday's game at California will be the ninth game of the current suspension. The Bruins (15-11, 6-8 Pac-10) hope to finish on a winning streak that will earn them an NCAA tournament berth.

"I didn't get my hopes up too high that he would be back this year," UCLA coach Steve Lavin said Monday night after Rush worked out at Pauley Pavilion.

"We've had a really tough season and this is a huge lift for the team. We're on a good emotional roll now, with good practices, the two wins against the Oregon schools, and the return of JaRon."

The coach said Rush was in relatively good shape and will play Saturday at Stanford, although he won't start.

Rushing To Conclusion Below is a chronology of the cases of UCLA's JaRon Rush and his brother, Missouri's Kareem Rush: Dec. 10: UCLA suspends sophomore JaRon Rush while the school investigates an undisclosed, possible NCAA violation. It is later revealed the possible infraction came to light while Rush was home in Kansas City in November testifying before a federal grand jury investigating income-tax evasion, fraud and money laundering charges against Rush's former summer coach, Myron Piggie. Dec. 14: Kareem Rush, a freshman playing for Missouri, is declared ineligible by the school for a possible NCAA violation prior to his enrollment. Meanwhile, SI's Seth Davis reports JaRon Rush has told his family he believes his college career is over. Dec. 19: Los Angeles sports agent Jerome Stanley testifies he loaned Piggie $43,500 between August 1997 and May 1998, the same time Rush was being recruited. Dec. 21: The Los Angeles Times reports Rush accepted four $50 payments from Stanley. Rush admits publicly on Jan. 11 to accepting money from Stanley. Dec. 22: Missouri appeals an NCAA decision to suspend Kareem Rush for half the team's remaining games for accepting money from Piggie. A week later, the punishment is reduced to one-third of the games, while Rush must make a $1,800 in repayment to charity before his eligibility expires. Jan. 29: Missouri's Rush returns. Feb. 1: NCAA suspends JaRon Rush 29 games for allegedly receiving $6,525 from Piggie. Feb. 28: NCAA reinstates Rush after hearing an appeal from UCLA. Rush's suspension is reduced to nine games and he must pay $6,525 -- the amount received from Piggie -- to charity.

"He is as important a player as we have on our team," Lavin said. "We call him our double-double man because he got double figures in points and rebounds in all our big games last year. The whole team is excited to have JaRon back because they know the adversity he's had this year."

Rush thanked his teammates, coaches and family for their support and also thanked athletic director Peter Dalis and assistant athletic director Betsy Stephenson for their work on his behalf.

"I am very happy that the NCAA has reduced my suspension and I am relieved that this situation is finally over," Rush said in a statement. "I'm looking forward to being back on the basketball court with my teammates this weekend."

Dalis also is glad the situation has been resolved.

"JaRon has been twisting in the wind for a long time, over three months," Dalis said.

The suspension stemmed from benefits Rush allegedly received from an AAU coach in Kansas City, Myron Piggie, while Rush was in high school.

UCLA suspended Rush, the Bruins' leading rebounder and third-leading scorer last season, indefinitely on Dec. 10 while it investigated whether the sophomore had violated NCAA rules.

Then the NCAA suspended Rush on Feb. 1 for the equivalent of one full season -- which worked out to be the final 12 games of this season and the first 17 of the next.

The NCAA also suspended Rush for 15 games this season for receiving $200 from a sports agent during the 1998-99 academic year. Rush already had missed 15 games by Feb. 1.

Rush has to repay $6,525, the value of benefits he allegedly received from Piggie, working out a payment schedule that satisfies the NCAA. The payments will go to charity.

Rush, 20, played in three games at the beginning of this season before UCLA suspended him in December. He averaged 11.4 points and 7.3 rebounds last season.

Kareem Rush, JaRon's brother, was suspended by the NCAA until Jan. 29 for receiving money from the same AAU coach before enrolling at Missouri, where he's a freshman. He missed nine games.

 

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UCLA head coach Steve Lavin says JaRon Rush has a positive influence on all of his teammates. (145 K) Lavin says the whole team has done a good job of rallying around Rush. (114 K) Visit Multimedia Central for the latest audio and video
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