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'A leave of absence' Barkley threatens to sit out Big East final against UConn
Posted: Saturday March 11, 2000 04:32 PM
NEW YORK (AP) -- On the night before the Big East tournament championship game, and moments after an emotional victory over Miami, St. John's point guard Erick Barkley said he was taking "a leave of absence from the team." Barkley, suspended twice this season for NCAA rules violations, did not expand on his announcement. "That's my only statement," he said after St. John's advanced to the title game against Connecticut by edging Miami 58-57 Friday night. However, the team had a meeting Saturday afternoon, after which St. John's sports information director Dominic Scianna confirmed that the sophomore will play against the Huskies.The Red Storm's leading scorer averaging 16.4 points, Barkley hit just 3-of-14 against the Hurricanes, finishing with seven points and five assists. While coach Mike Jarvis was at a news conference, Barkley made the statement in the locker room. When informed of what Barkley said, the coach released a statement.
Barkley first ran into trouble with the NCAA in February when he was suspended for three games for exchanging vehicles with a family friend. After an appeal, that punishment was reduced to two games. On Feb. 29, St. John's was forced to declare Barkley ineligible and he missed that night's victory over Seton Hall. The NCAA requested further information regarding payment of part of Barkley's tuition at Maine Central Institute for the 1997-98 academic year. He was reinstated on March 3, but the NCAA ruled that he would have to pay back $3,500 of his $22,000 tuition, which St. John's said Barkley received from Riverside Church, a New York AAU program for which he played. He can donate the money to a charity of his choice, and has until his eligibility expires to do so. Before Friday night's game against Miami, rumors circulated that the NCAA was looking into Barkley's SAT history but neither he nor the school commented on that. St. John's was rebuked by the NCAA over the Barkley case. NCAA president Cedric Dempsey issued a statement March 1 saying the school incorrectly portrayed that it had been treated unfairly during the second investigation.
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