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Bower suspension reduced
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- An NCAA suspension for guard Ricky Bower of 19th-ranked Wisconsin was reduced from nine games to four games Tuesday in response to an appeal by the university. Bower had been suspended for the nine games and 34 practices Friday after the NCAA ruled he had not received final approval that he was eligible to play for the Badgers. Instead, Bower will now miss games against Minnesota on Wednesday, at Indiana on Saturday and a home game against Michigan State next week. He already sat out the Badgers' win over Northwestern on Sunday and will next be eligible to play March 3 at Iowa. The number of practices he must miss was dropped from 34 to 17. Bower, a sophomore, was declared ineligible last week after the university did a routine check to make sure its athletes were academically in compliance with NCAA standards. It found that after Bower committed to Wisconsin in July, the university's academic affairs department failed to check whether Bower received final approval by the NCAA clearinghouse. The NCAA's subcommittee on student-athlete reinstatement modified Bower's suspension after a hearing Tuesday. University officials had sought to have Bower reinstated immediately. Bower played his first year of college basketball at Ricks Community College in Idaho before spending two years on a Mormon mission. He then came to Wisconsin in 2000. Bower, a reserve, was averaging 4.4 points and 1.3 rebounds per game for the Badgers (15-7). He has played in 18 games this season, including 13 victories. Wisconsin may be without another player besides Bower against the Gophers, who beat Wisconsin 54-49 when the two teams met in Minnesota last month. Senior guard Mike Kelley went down with what coach Brad Soderberg called a 'turned ankle' during practice Monday and was taken away on a stretcher. He did not practice Tuesday and his status for the Minnesota game won't be decided until Wednesday, according to the athletic department. Kelley, the team's top defender, hasn't missed a game during his four seasons at Wisconsin and shares the school record for games played (122) with seniors Andy Kowske and Mark Vershaw. Kelley's 110 starts are two shy of the school record shared by Michael Finley and Rick Olson.
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