Fall-Americans: Schools Take Risks Simply to Post Few More Victories
A striking number of schools are willing to take risks to try to keep up with the Basketball Jones' Top 10 rather than simply be ranked in the Top 25 or reach NCAA playoff field of 68. In order to win a few more games and enhance prospects of advancing to the Final Four, they are willing to accept marginal "necessary-obligation" problems.
College hoopdom would be a certifiable _ _ _ _hole if notorious criminals David Berkowitz, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Albert DeSalvo, John Wayne Gacy, Donald Harvey, Ted Kacynski, Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh, Dennis Rader, Richard Ramirez and Wayne Williams had been 4- or 5-star recruits. Coaches, seemingly recruiting anyone with a pulse if they exhibit hoop skills, expect us to believe prize prospects arrive on campus as authentic student-athletes knowing precisely how to assemble class schedule without silver-platter input citing no-risk-to-eligibility courses. Any "stable genius" knows nothing could be further from the truth amid the institutional self-interest. What was the average SAT score differential between the Fall-Americans acknowledged below and the everyday student attending same institution?
For decades, this scholastic sham has been stacking up as a farce devaluing many diplomas and denigrating the mission of higher education. Sixty-eight is a magic number when it comes to participating in the NCAA Tournament. But it becomes a tragic number when a significantly higher total than that of the following All-Americans - including recent downfalls for Chuck Person and Kermit Washington - plummeted from their lofty pedestal:
Lew Alcindor, UCLA (coached by John Wooden) - Two-time national player of the year in late 1960s ran into trouble with law over marijuana twice in two years at the turn of 21st Century (paid fine after surrendering small amount to officers at Toronto airport and arrested on suspicion of driving under influence). Ridiculously compared national anthem to slave songs.
Kenny Anderson, Georgia Tech (Bobby Cremins) - Despite earning close to $63 million in his NBA career, he declared bankruptcy shortly after retiring in 2005. "When you're an athlete, there is always someone holding your hand, helping you get it done, guiding your every step," said Anderson, who had seven children from five different women. "But that NBA lifestyle isn't real. It can gobble you up. And it did me." Anderson was fired from his coaching job at a small Jewish high school in south Florida following his arrest in Pembroke Pines, Fla., at about 4:30 a.m. in late April 2013 after police allegedly saw him driving in and out of his lane. He also was arrested in Miranar, Fla., in mid-December 2011 after leaving the scene following crashing his vehicle into two trees along a swale. In a documentary (Mr. Chibbs), Anderson said he was sexually molested by a Queens neighbor during his childhood.
Carmelo Anthony, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - Arrested on suspicion of drunken driving at 4 a.m. in mid-April 2008 after one of his worst games of the season in Denver. He was suspended for 25 contests during the 2006-07 campaign for punching New York Knicks guard Mardy Collins in the face during one of the NBA's worst brawls. Took up the mantle of the "stop snitchin'" movement, appearing in an underground DVD circulated in his hometown of Baltimore in 2004 encouraging those who are questioned by the police to refuse to "snitch" on drug dealers, murderers and other criminals. Suspended for one game without pay midway through the 2012-13 campaign for confronting an opposing player (Boston's Kevin Garnett) multiple times (in the arena tunnel, near the players' locker rooms and in the parking garage) following a loss against the Celtics.
Ron Artest, St. John's (Fran Fraschilla and Mike Jarvis) - Authorities arrested him in early March 2007 after a woman called 911 from his five-acre Sacramento estate saying she had been assaulted. Deputies arrested him on suspicion of domestic violence and using force or violence to prevent his victim from reporting a crime. Five years earlier, he was ordered to attend anger management classes after another girlfriend (mother of one of his children) filed assault charges against him. His temper flared in 2003 at New York's Madison Square Garden when he smashed a video monitor valued at $100,000. He drew six suspensions in the 2002-03 season and two in the 2003-04 campaign. On November 19, 2004, at The Palace of Auburn Hills (Mich.), Artest went into the stands igniting a melee with the crowd and subsequently received the longest suspension in NBA history for an infraction not linked to drugs or gambling (86 games: 73 regular season and 13 postseason). All-Big East Conference first-team selection as a sophomore in 1998-99 changed his name to Metta World Peace in mid-September 2011.
Charles Barkley, Auburn (Sonny Smith) - Three-time All-SEC selection from 1981-82 through 1983-84 was arrested for breaking a man's nose during a fight at 2:30 A.M. just before Christmas in 1991 after a game at Milwaukee and also for throwing a bar patron through a plate-glass window in late October 1997 after being struck with a glass of ice while in Orlando for an exhibition game. In August 1997, a jury rejected a $550,000 lawsuit from a man who claimed Barkley beat him up at a Cleveland nightclub. Charges were dropped against Barkley and fellow NBA player Jayson Williams stemming from an accusation they were in a bar fight in Chicago in 1992. Compulsive gambler said in an ESPN interview in May 2006 that he lost approximately $10 million through gambling, including $2.5 million "in a six-hour period" while playing blackjack. The Wynn Las Vegas resort filed a civil complaint in May 2008 that Barkley failed to repay four $100,000 casino markers, or loans, received the previous October. He took a leave of absence from TNT Sports' broadcast booth in early 2009 after test results showed he was legally drunk (nearly twice the legal limit) on New Year's Eve when Phoenix police arrested him on suspicion of drunken driving. Barkley, who triggered a national debate with his "I am not a role model" proclamation, told police he was in a hurry to go have sex from a female passenger he had just picked up from a popular nightclub.
Marvin Barnes, Providence (Dave Gavitt) - Unanimous first-team All-American in 1973-74 was arrested for a variety of things - trespassing, being under the influence of narcotics, burglary of a locked vehicle. Homeless in San Diego, he stole X-rated videos to sell for drug money. He claimed his cocaine addiction escalated to the point where he snorted the drug on the Boston Celtics' bench during a game. Barnes contends he hit rock bottom during one of his drug-related prison stints when he almost killed a fellow inmate. Barnes attended the John Lucas Treatment Center in Houston and worked as a director at a halfway house before encountering liver problems. In mid-May 2007, he was arrested by state police on a felony charge of cocaine possession. In mid-January 2012, Barnes, 59, was arraigned in Rhode Island on a charge of soliciting a 17-year-old minor for sex after they met through his Rebound Foundation for at-risk youths. In 1972, he was charged with assault after allegedly hitting PC teammate Larry Ketvirtis with a tire iron following a scrimmage. Barnes once asked Providence Journal columnist Bill Reynolds if cocaine kills brain cells before saying: "I must have been a genius when I started out." While incarcerated, Barnes also told Reynolds: "Here I am trying to get myself straightened out and they come out with a brand-new drug (crystal meth)."
Michael Beasley, Kansas State (Frank Martin) - In the first week of August 2013, the 2007-08 first-team All-American had his fourth public run-in involving marijuana in some capacity since entering the NBA. As a rookie with the Miami Heat in 2008 before being considered expendable when the franchise cleared cap room to pursue LeBron James, he was fined $50,000 by the NBA after acknowledging he was involved in an incident involving a couple of other players at a rookie symposium in New York (they were found in a room at the resort with two women - violating NBA policy for the event - and security personnel said the scent of marijuana was detected). Checked himself into a Houston rehab center in the summer of 2009 after there was a photo of Beasley with a bag of what was assumed as pot on a table in front of him that made its way around the internet. Arrested in late-January 2013 in Scottsdale, Ariz., for multiple traffic violations (including driving on a suspended license and speeding), Beasley was investigated for an alleged sexual assault committed earlier that month. His AAU coach, Curtis Malone, was arrested in mid-August 2013 and charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin two decades after he was convicted for distributing crack cocaine in 1991. Malone is the step-father of former Duke All-American Nolan Smith.
William Bedford, Memphis State (Dana Kirk) - All-American as a junior in 1985-86 was arrested in February 2001 after Taylor, Mich., police said they found 25 pounds of marijuana in his car. Subsequently served time in a Fort Worth, Tex., prison on drug-related charges. In 1987, he was subpoenaed by a Maricopa County (Ariz.) grand jury investigating drug use among Phoenix Suns players and testified against his teammates after receiving immunity. In March 1988, Bedford admitted he was addicted to cocaine and marijuana and was committed to the NBA's treatment facility in Van Nuys, Calif. Known as "Willie B" - as in "Will he be at practice?" - Bedford relapsed the following October and was readmitted to the clinic. When he returned, his behavior on and off the court grew more erratic. He received a dozen traffic tickets and 10 license suspensions in less than four years. In September 1997, Bedford, who was on three years probation at the time, tested positive for cocaine and was sent to a Texas state jail for one year. Also arrested in Texas for failing to pay more than $300,000 in child support.
Ron Behagen, Minnesota (Bill Musselman) - All-American as a senior in 1972-73 was sentenced to three years probation and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to stealing money from a 68-year-old Atlanta woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and dementia. Behagen, receiving the woman's ATM card from her caretaker, withdrew $7,140 from the woman's bank account in 40 transactions the spring of 2011 with all of the them recorded on surveillance cameras.
Charlie Bell, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Third arrest of 2011 came in December when he showed up drunk to the court hearing regarding his previous arrest, an October 2011 DUI. All-American point guard as senior in 2000-01 was also arrested for DUI in February of same year. His estranged wife, a former Miss Michigan USA, was arrested in spring of 2011 for allegedly stabbing Bell with a box cutter.
Benoit Benjamin, Creighton (Willis Reed) - Arrested in hometown of Monroe, La., in spring of 2008 and charged with simple battery and resisting arrest following a domestic disturbance at his house. Big Ben, the nation's second-leading rebounder in 1984-85, was also reportedly ordered by a local judge to pay more than $500,000 in back child support. In 1993, domestic violence charges against Benjamin were dropped because prosecutors were unable to contact the alleged victim. Arrested three times for marijuana possession from 2009 to 2015. Also arrested for speeding in May of 1986 after purchasing a maroon BMW sedan.
Len Bias, Maryland (Lefty Driesell) - It was one of those moments when time seemed to stand still. The fallout stemming from the All-American forward's cocaine-induced death just four days after the 1986 NBA draft included the ouster of long-time Terrapins coach Lefty Driesell. Bias had become the only individual named ACC player of the year although his team had a losing league record (6-8 mark to finish in sixth place). Four and half years later, Bias' younger brother, Jay, a former Allegany Community College (Md.) forward after failing to measure up to DI scholarship academic standards, was shot and killed in the parking lot following an argument at a jewelry store in a local mall.
Mike Bibby, Arizona (Lute Olson) - All-American as sophomore in 1997-98 was investigated by police in late February 2019 amid sexual-abuse harassment accusations made against him while coaching his high alma mater (winning five state titles in six years). Bibby exited his position following the allegations.
Chauncey Billups, Colorado (Joe Harrington and Ricardo Patton) - All-American as sophomore in 1996-97 was sued along with Boston Celtics teammate Ron Mercer for attempted rape at Antoine Walker's residence in November 1997 in a case settled out of court. Pleaded guilty with a college teammate to misdemeanor theft in March 1996 after taking video rental coupons from book covers in the campus bookstore.
Nate Blackwell, Temple (John Chaney) - Drug dependency cost him his profession, marriage, legacy and future. Unable to work after doctors found a tumor pressing against his adrenal gland, All-American in 1986-87 went back to live with his parents in the Philly row home where he grew up.
Daron "Mookie" Blaylock, Oklahoma (Billy Tubbs) - Busted in 1997 when drug sniffing dogs uncovered marijuana on him in a Vancouver, Canada airport. Second-team All-American was arrested around 4 a.m. in early March 1989 and charged with public drunkenness following a report of an argument at a convenience store. He was charged with vehicular homicide arising from a head-on crash killing a mother of five in suburban Atlanta in late May 2013. Blaylock, accused of driving on a suspended license and failure to maintain his lane in the crash, was also wanted on charges of failure to appear in court, DUI and drug possession. Bond was set at $250,000 stemming from a criminal record including six DUIs in a six-year span from late 2007 to late 2013 (one when blood alcohol content was 4 1/2 times legal limit) before he pleaded guilty (term reduced to seven years - suspended after three - and eight years' probation according to a plea deal). Prior to the crash, a doctor had ordered Blaylock (treated for seizures) not to drive, prosecutors said. A former Hawks ball-boy told SI that Blaylock was stoned a large part of the time he played for Atlanta after spending many game days at a strip club.
Dick Boushka, St. Louis (Eddie Hickey) - The 1956 Olympian rose to chief executive of the Vickers oil company and eventually got into real estate development. But in December 2002, the Billikens' All-American in 1954-55 pleaded guilty in federal court in Wichita, Kan., to defrauding a bank of more than $17 million. Boushka, sentenced to 70 months in prison for his white-collar crimes, admitted that he made false statements inducing the bank to make several large loans to him in 1998. He also admitted cheating another businessman out of $1.5 million.
Luther "Ticky" Burden, Utah (Bill Foster and Jerry Pimm) - Sentenced in August 1984 to the two years he already served in an update New York prison stemming from his involvement in a bank robbery of $18,000 in Hempstead, N.Y., in 1980 just five blocks from his house. Originally sentenced to six to 18 years after three associates struck deals with the state and testified against him. But he was released when a court ruled that police didn't have a search warrant when they raided his home. Upon release, he bounced back by promoting concerts and overseeing his own financial consulting company. Longtime counselor at a YWCA near his Winston-Salem, N.C., home. Burden was an All-American as a junior in 1974-75 before leaving college early for the pros.
Howard Carter, Louisiana State (Dale Brown) - Charged in the spring of 1995 with buying and using drugs after French police arrested him and seized a dose of heroin. He was arrested with five suspected drug dealers in the stairwell of a building shortly before his team was slated to play. Carter, a two-time All-American who averaged 15.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg for LSU from 1979-80 through 1982-83 and appeared in the 1981 Final Four, took out French citizenship and played for the country's national team.
Rex Chapman, Kentucky (Eddie Sutton) - All-American as a sophomore in 1987-88 was arrested in September 2014 for allegedly shoplifting $14,000 worth of merchandise a total of nine times from an Apple store and then selling the items at a pawnshop for $5,460. Ten days following his arrest, Chapman checked himself into a substance-abuse treatment program in Louisville reportedly trying to break an addiction to a drug that helps wean people off opiates. It was his third stint in rehab for prescription narcotics since retiring as a player.
Derrick Chievous, Missouri (Norm Stewart) - All-American as a junior in 1986-87 was charged with felony stealing in May, 2001, for allegedly taking items from the United Parcel Service terminal in Columbia, Mo., where he had worked for nine months after playing in the NBA and Europe. Chievous, who had been under investigation for months regarding possible theft, allegedly fled from managers while carrying stolen items. In 1997, he was arrested for failure to pay child support. "I'm not the marrying type," said Chievous, who had daughters in his college town plus Philadelphia and Chicago. "I'm not always the greatest dad. But I'm the best dad they've got."
Mateen Cleaves, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Two-time Big Ten Conference MVP and 2000 Final Four MOP was arrested in mid-March 2010 on suspicion of drunken driving but ended up leading to careless driving. Acquitted of sexual assault charges in late summer 2019 after accused of false imprisonment by intoxicated woman who said she was driven in his Cadillac SUV to a Knights Inn and attacked four years earlier following a Flint-area charity golf outing and trip to local bar for drinks. A surveillance video showed Cleaves, clad only in socks, pulling the near-naked woman back to a motel room twice. Three-time All-American faced misdemeanor charges of stealing beer while in college but that case eventually was dropped.
Derrick Coleman, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - The Big East Conference's 1990 MVP was stopped in Farmington Hills, Mich., at 3:30 a.m. in late July 2002 for speeding (120 mph in a 70 mph zone) and taken into custody after refusing a breathalyzer test. Arrested in late October 1999 in Charlotte for driving while under the influence after the vehicle he was driving collided with a tractor-trailer. A couple of months earlier, he was accused of urinating in front of patrons at a downtown Detroit Chinese restaurant and charged with disorderly conduct. Coleman also faced a civil lawsuit in Michigan in which he was accused of trespassing and battery at a Detroit woman's home in 1997. In summer of 1995, he was arrested and charged with refusing to move his truck and swearing at a police officer in Detroit. Despite earning an estimated $87 million in his NBA career, he owed creditors $4.7 million after a series of poor real estate investments in Detroit. In college, Coleman was sentenced to 50 hours of community service and ordered to make restitution for damage after pleading guilty to charges of harassment and disorderly conduct at a campus dance.
Sherron Collins, Kansas (Bill Self) - In June 2008, months after KU won the NCAA title, a judge ruled in favor of a woman he allegedly sexually assaulted in an elevator the previous year, granting damages in excess of $75,000 in a civil suit. A 35-year-old woman said she was unable to continue working at the Jayhawker Towers because of an incident where Collins was accused of exposing himself and rubbing against her despite being told repeatedly to stop. Collins, a two-time All-American in subsequent seasons, denied the assault but was a no-show at the hearing. The accuser later dropped the lawsuit for mental and physical problems when Collins agreed to drop his counterclaim of defamation.
DeMarcus Cousins, Kentucky (John Calipari) - All-American as a freshman in 2009-10 faced an arrest on misdemeanor domestic violence charge in late August 2019 before harassment allegation was dropped three months later. A former girlfriend in Mobile, Ala., sought a restraining order against him after she said in court documents and a police report that he threatened her (regarding not letting their son attend his wedding in Atlanta) and had previously choked her. The woman alleged Cousins said he would put a "bullet in (her) f---ing head" during a telephone argument. Cousins also avoided charges in the aftermath of a brawl at a New York City nightclub in December 2016. At the Olympics in August 2016, he and a couple other Team USA members were caught going to notorious high-end brothel near the Copacabana beach in Rio before team explanation that "they thought it was a health spa."
Quintin Dailey, San Francisco (Dan Belluomini and Pete Barry) - All-American season in 1981-82 was marred by him pleading guilty to aggravated assault of a nursing student in a dormitory (sentenced to three years' probation and paid settlement of $100,000). A document in the case revealed that the two-time WCC Player of the Year accepted $1,000 per month from USF boosters for a summer job the Baltimore native did not have to do, sparking the termination of the school's basketball program for three seasons. Dailey gained 30 pounds in a single NBA season, twice violated the league's drug policy, attempted suicide and took leaves of absence for psychiatric care. "I had to learn life by trial and error as I went along. I erred a lot," Dailey told the Los Angeles Times before dying in Las Vegas at the age of 49 because of a heart ailment.
Dwight Davis, Houston (Guy Lewis) - At one point, the 1971-72 All-American found himself complacent living in a shed as long as he could continue to feed his addiction. When illegal activities eventually got the best of him, Davis was placed in jail on drug-related charges. After serving six months in jail, Davis cleaned up his act once and for all, joining AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) on his way to recovery.
Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Louisiana State (John Brady) - Leading scorer and rebounder for 2006 Final Four team as SEC Player of the Year was arrested at a Hampton Inn in Baltimore suburb in early February 2018 with a quarter of a pound of marijuana and $92,000 in cash.
Walt "Corky" Devlin, George Washington (Bill Reinhart) - Compulsive gambler, married to a regular singer on the Arthur Godfrey Show, consistently stole money from his family and was penniless when migrating to a Trappist monastery in Kentucky. His addiction is depicted in a book about him called "In Search of Corky." All-American in 1954-55 was jailed in California after acting as a strikebreaker for a union. Treated for mental depression, he made an appearance on the Phil Donahue Show about Gambler's Anonymous. Said Devlin: "When I gamble, it's like play money. It doesn't matter if I win or lose. The thrill is there either way."
Jay Edwards, Indiana (Bob Knight) - Less than a month after forgoing his remaining two seasons of eligibility, the Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 1988-89 was charged with two preliminary counts of battery following an accusation by a woman that he slapped and punched her at a party in late April 1989. He missed time for academic reasons as a freshman and failed a drug test in fall of his sophomore campaign. Suspended for violating NBA drug policy in spring of 1990.
Raymond Felton, North Carolina (Roy Williams) - All-American in 2004-05 was sentenced to 500 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $5,000 fine after pleading guilty to attempted criminal possession of a weapon and criminal possession of a firearm. He admitted knowingly having a large-capacity ammunition magazine and a pistol without a license in his Manhattan apartment. The attorney for his estranged wife turned a semiautomatic firearm into police in late February 2014 after alleging Felton used gun to "intimidate" her during domestic disputes.
Marcus Fizer, Iowa State (Tim Floyd) - NCAA consensus first-team All-American in 1999-00 pleaded guilty in August 2004 to carrying a loaded handgun in his automobile and was sentenced to probation for a year and fined $2,500. Two years earlier, Fizer was also charged with a felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. He was one of the most-heavily tattooed players in the NBA with more than 30.
Eric "Sleepy" Floyd, Georgetown (John Thompson Jr.) - Leading scorer for 1982 NCAA Tournament runner-up was arrested in early January 1996 in a Houston suburb on charge of misdemeanor assault after a fight with his wife.
Phil Ford, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Four-time All-American from 1974-75 through 1977-78 was arrested in fall of 1999 and charged with drunken driving for the second time in 25 months. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and entered a treatment center for the second time.
Chet Forte, Columbia (Lou Rossini) - ABC Sports' top director was humbled by a gambling sickness that left him $1.5 million in debt and with legal problems that almost sent him to prison. In March 1992, he was given five years' probation, ordered to perform 400 hours of community service, make restitution of past debts and pay $39,000 in back federal taxes. Forte was named UPI's national player of the year in 1956-57.
Joe Forte, North Carolina (Bill Guthridge and Matt Doherty) - Maryland state police arrested him in early May, 2003, after finding marijuana and a handgun in his car on a trip back from New York, where he met his idol, rapper Jay-Z. Two-time All-ACC guard (1999-00 and 2000-01) also faced an assault charge when he allegedly punched a man in the face during a pickup game. Questions linger about his mother being hired by the sports agency he subsequently affiliated with upon leaving school early.
Steve Francis, Maryland (Gary Williams) - J.C. recruit and All-American in 1998-99 was taken into custody in early October 2010 at Los Angeles International Airport for resisting arrest. He appeared intoxicated and was creating a stir at a ticket counter. Five months earlier, a 20-year-old woman on his record label filed a groping complaint against him. In mid-November 2016, Francis was arrested in Houston and charged with felony retaliation for allegedly threatening a police officer, misdemeanor DWI plus possession of marijuana after he was stopped for speeding.
Jason Gardner, Arizona (Lute Olsen) - Leader in assists and runner-up in steals for 2001 national runner-up prior to becoming an All-American the next two seasons was dismissed after five campaigns as IUPUI head coach in late August 2019 after being apprehended intoxicated at 4:30 a.m. asleep behind the wheel of his Nissan.
Jack "Goose" Givens, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall) - Final Four MVP in 1978 found not guilty following arrest during summer of 2004 on charges of sexual battery and lewd molestation of 14-year-old girl after giving her a private basketball lesson at her home while parents were away. Givens acknowledged "bad judgment" via instant-message conversations with the girl, some involving sexual topics, and apologized for "whatever she assumed I did" during a taped phone call with her. A police affidavit said the girl's grandmother was at the home, called the girl's mother twice at her work to report what she thought was inappropriate behavior in the swimming pool and later called the girl out of her bedroom out of concern for her well-being. After first 14 years of the franchise, Givens' contract as a color analyst for the Orlando Magic was not renewed.
Ben Gordon, Connecticut (Jim Calhoun) - Arrested during 2002-03 season for allegedly slapping a female student. Fiancee Sascha Smith was involved in an early-morning brawl at a Charlotte nightclub in mid-December 2012 that landed Tyrus Thomas' wife in jail. Four run-ins with the law in six-month span in 2017 (arrested in early June after allegedly pulling multiple fire alarms at his L.A. apartment complex, hospitalized for a psych evaluation in his hometown of Mount Vernon, N.Y., in October after cops responded to a confrontation he had with a woman at his sports rehab center-owned business, arrested in mid-November in New York City for driving with forged license plate and arrested in late November for felony robbery of apartment manager over his security deposit).
Ed Gray, Tennessee (Wade Houston)/California (Todd Bozeman and Ben Braun) - Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1996-97 was charged in Atlanta in late March, 1999, with drug possession and driving under the influence.
Spencer Haywood, Detroit (Bob Calihan) - All-American in 1968-69 when J.C. recruit led nation in rebounding (21.5 rpg) became addicted to cocaine. After all-night binge smoking crack, he needed to take the edge off before practice the next day. After taking a few Quaaludes and falling into a coma-like sleep during team stretching exercise at Lakers practice for a 1980 Finals match-up against Philly. Coked-out Haywood concocted plan with dubious Detroit deadheads to have his coach murdered but went no further than scoping out Paul Westhead's residence.
Luther Head, Illinois (Bill Self and Bruce Weber) - Leading scorer for 2005 national runner-up was suspended four games with a couple of teammates for being among individuals in a fall 2003 burglary entering an apartment and pilfering as much as $3,000 worth of goods. He also sat out Big Ten Conference opener in 2003-04 following arrest on charges of driving on a suspended license.
Joe Hobbs, Florida (John Mauer) - All-American guard as a senior in 1957-58 was sentenced to 22 1/2 years in prison in mid-June 1988. Indiana native was convicted of more than two dozen counts of grand theft stemming from insurance fraud, violating his probation and then escaping from a prison work-release center.
Byron Houston, Oklahoma State (Leonard Hamilton and Eddie Sutton) - The Cowboys' all-time leading scorer (2,374 points from 1988-89 through 1991-92) pleaded guilty to multiple counts of indecent exposure in 2003 and became a registered sex offender. In mid-September, 2007, he was sentenced to four years in prison for violating probation on an indecent exposure conviction in his hometown of Oklahoma City. Defense witnesses said Houston suffered from bipolar disorder and other mental illnesses. Charged with one count of cruelty to animals in the summer of 2011.
Allen Iverson, Georgetown (John Thompson Jr.) - In the summer of 2002, he was charged with assault and other offenses for forcing his way into a Philadelphia apartment with a gun and threatening two men while looking for his wife. He was also sued for his part in a nightclub brawl in Washington in 2005. Iverson's wife, Tawanna, filed for divorce in early March 2010, a week after AI, beset by alcohol and gambling issues, left the 76ers. A judge used the signing of a $3 million divorce decree settlement as a moment to let Iverson know he felt his role as a father to the couple's five children was deplorable and suggested he was an alcoholic. He had been banished from casinos in Detroit and Atlantic City. NBA Rookie of the Year was arrested in the summer of 1997 for possession of a handgun and marijuana near Richmond, Va. As a teenager, he was arrested in a Hampton, Va., bowling alley brawl in 1993 and spent four months in prison before then-Gov. Douglas Wilder granted clemency, allowing him to enroll at Georgetown, where he became a first-team All-American as a sophomore in 1995-96. His defacto father spent a good portion of his adult life in and out of prison for dealing crack cocaine. Iverson, a rapper wannabee, performed a song on his CD containing the following words: "Man enough to pull a gun, be man enough to squeeze it." After squandering more than $150 million in NBA salary, Iverson was ordered by a judge in Georgia in mid-February 2012 to pay $860,000 he apparently owed a jeweler. Since Iverson didn't have the cash to pay the jeweler, the judge ordered his bank accounts commandeered and his earnings garnished. Iverson's Atlanta mansion was sold in a foreclosure auction in early February 2013. A Sixers teammate said Iverson routinely spent $30-40G at strip clubs.
Josh Jackson, Kansas (Bill Self) - All-American as freshman in 2016-17 was charged with one count of criminal damage to property for causing more than $1,000 worth of damage kicking an auto at 2 a.m. in early December 2016 when a female student threw a drink in teammate LaGerald Vick's face. In an affidavit, the victim, a women's hooper for KU, told police Jackson followed her to the car outside a club and "was yelling for her to get out of the car and that he would beat her ass." In mid-May 2019, Jackson was arrested on suspicion of resisting arrest and escape at a hip-hop music festival in Miami Gardens (charges reduced to misdemeanor by enrolling in six-month diversion program). In June 2019, Detroit native was accused of using marijuana around his infant daughter according to her mother 19 years older than father.
Mark Jackson, St. John's (Lou Carnesecca) - In the summer of 2012, a salacious story unfolded as a stripper and co-conspirator were busted for a purported $200,000 extortion plot against Jackson, who moonlighted as a minister at a LA suburb-based non-denominational church, for sending compromising nude photographs during a 2006 affair. The NCAA assists average leader in 1985-86 and All-American as senior in 1986-87 "shimmied off" being called "a Bible-pounding phony" by ESPN colleague Bob Ryan when the network suspended the venerable ex-Boston Globe columnist, not "Action" Jackson, for a couple of weeks.
Bernard King, Tennessee (Ray Mears) - Three-time SEC MVP in the mid-1970s had numerous encounters with the law, including theft of TV from UT's athletic center, before arrest in 1980 on charges of assaulting a woman in his apartment. Recognized as youngest NBA player (23) arrested four times. He also faced an assault charge in 1994 after a woman accused him of choking her and was arrested for spousal abuse in late October 2004 (charge dropped per counseling agreement).
Christian Laettner, Duke (Mike Krzyzewski) - NCAA national player of the year in 1991-92 was suspended for five NBA games in 2003-04 after violating the league's drug policy. Sued multiple times for failure to repay loans, including $671,309 owed to former teammate Johnny Dawkins. In 2010, Laettner's attorney said his client had $10 million in assets and $40 million in debt. His $3.65 million mansion outside Jacksonville, Fla., was foreclosed on in 2015. In the fall of 2016, a federal judge dismissed an involuntary bankruptcy case against him (five creditors claimed they were among those owed $14.05 million) after he reached a repayment deal his lawyer said should bring a decade of financial woes to a close. He earned $61 million as an NBA player.
Ty Lawson, North Carolina (Roy Williams) - All-American in 2008-09 when reaching Final Four for second season in a row was arrested in an alleged domestic violence incident at his home in mid-August 2013. In mid-July 2015, he was arrested for DUI for the fourth time in an eight-year span and subsequently served two DUI-related suspensions during the first half of the 2015-16 NBA campaign.
Lewis Lloyd, Drake (Bob Ortegel) - Beset by cocaine problems triggering a ban from the NBA in 1987. The previous year, the Stouffer Hotel Corporation sued him for an unpaid bill of more than $49,000 that had been charged to his room during a stay at one of its Houston hotels. He also was arrested in the spring of 1990 for nonpayment of child support.
Kevin Loder, Alabama State (James Oliver) - All-American in 1980-81 was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 1994 for dealing cocaine. "The addiction undermined anything I tried to do," he said.
Steve Logan, Cincinnati (Bob Huggins) - All-American guard in 2001-02 when tying for 12th in nation in scoring with 22 ppg pleaded guilty to a charge of domestic violence stemming from mid-May 2009 incident involving his long-time girlfriend. Rape charges were dismissed against Cleveland native stemming from incident in early August 2009 after prosecutors determined there were too many inconsistencies with the case.
Stephon Marbury, Georgia Tech (Bobby Cremins) - In 2000, he told the NYPD a 24-inch diamond necklace worth $150,000 was stolen from him at gunpoint in Manhattan. He was arrested on an extreme DUI charge in 2002 after an Arizona officer saw his car weaving on the road. As a witness in a sexual harassment trial involving the New York Knicks' front office, he admitted to having sex in a SUV with an intern. A New York judge sided with his personal chef/mistress to pony up more than remaining $330,000 plus interest of $900,000 in "hush money" he promised in writing to keep his chick-on-the-side quiet. All-American in his only college campaign in 1995-96 opened up for an episode of HBO's Real Sports about a depressing dark time in his life including 24-hour live-streaming himself crying and eating Vaseline in the summer of 2009. According to SI, Marbury's wife said he stayed in bed all day eating Fruity Pebbles, isolating himself after frequent travails with the Knicks, the death of his father in 2007 and discontinuance of his "Starbury" discount sneaker company (logo tattooed on side of his head). In another internet video posted by TMZ, Marbury got blunt yucking it up while smoking marijuana. "I'm not under contract," he said. "I smoke weed occasionally. I'm not driving. I'm following the rules."
Xavier McDaniel, Wichita State (Gene Smithson) - All-American in 1984-85 when leading nation in scoring and rebounding was charged in March 1986 with assaulting his then-wife (charge dropped after agreeing to family counseling for anger management). In late summer 1996, he was charged with domestic-violence assault against his girlfriend (accused of choking her and preventing 911 call).
Cliff Meely, Colorado (Sox Walseth) - All-American in 1970-71 was charged in Boulder, Colo., in 1985 with possession of cocaine and two counts of selling the drug to an undercover officer. "I tried to distract myself from problems by using drugs and becoming an addict," Meely said. "After getting caught, they gave me treatment, classes, specialists, etc. My doctors taught me about the harm of drugs, and they were able to get me off cocaine and get me going in the right direction."
Dean Meminger, Marquette (Al McGuire) - Unanimous first-team All-American as a senior in 1970-71, who said his cocaine use escalated after leaving the NBA, worked as a substance-abuse counselor for several years while still using cocaine. He was treated at the Hazelden facility in Minnesota and had several relapses in the 1990s, ending up in a brownstone for transients in Harlem. In late November 2009, Meminger was hospitalized after a fire reportedly started by a crack pipe in a Bronx rooming house before he was found dead in a Hamilton Heights hotel of an apparent drug overdose in late August 2013. In a 2003 interview, he said his longest drug-free stint as an adult was three years.
Ron Mercer, Kentucky (Rick Pitino) - All-American as a sophomore in 1996-97 faced misdemeanor assault charge stemming from scuffle in Nashville strip club in April 2007 after police said Mercer punched a bouncer in the face. He was sued along with Chauncey Billups for attempted rape at Antoine Walker's residence in November 1997 in a case settled out of court (Walker sued for failing to stop alleged incident after socializing at Boston comedy club before also settling). In August 2013, a jury sided with Mercer in a lawsuit brought by an ex-girlfriend over the ownership of a $45,000 Range Rover.
Calvin Murphy, Niagara (Frank Layden) - Acquitted in 2004 of charges he sexually abused five of his 14 daughters fathered with nine different women (only one of whom he married). "You don't have one affair after another like I did," Murphy reflected the day following his acquittal. "It basically comes under the heading of playing with people's lives."
Lee Nailon, Texas Christian (Billy Tubbs) - Following roughing up of girlfriend in his dormitory room, juco recruit was suspended for one game in 1997-98 after pleading no contest to misdemeanor assault and was ordered to pay $165 in court costs. Charges were dropped during the summer of 1999 after the All-American was arrested for suspicion of drug possession and evading arrest (through back window of Comfort Inn motel room in Fort Worth). Midway through the 2005-06 NBA season, Nailon was arrested outside Philadelphia in connection with a domestic dispute. He was fined $300, completed anger-management classes and ordered to do community service in case in which he was charged with elbowing his wife in the face and throwing a picture frame at her.
Calvin Natt, Northeast Louisiana (Lenny Fant) - All-American in 1978-79 was arrested and charged with solicitation for prostitution in late January 1988 after responding to an ad for an escort service placed by Denver undercover police officers.
Greg Oden, Ohio State (Thad Matta) - All-American center as freshman in 2006-07 was formally charged with battery for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend in the face around 3:30 a.m. on August 7, 2014, at his mother's home in Lawrence, Ind. In a plea agreement, he was found guilty of felony battery with moderate bodily injury. During his brief NBA career, a leaked naked picture of him emerged while Oden was sidelined with a broken kneecap.
Mike Olliver, Lamar (Billy Tubbs and Pat Foster) - Southland Conference Player of the Year as senior All-American in 1980-81 was sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to attempted murder. Three-time all-league first-team selection repeatedly stabbed his ex-girlfriend inside her Raleigh, N.C., townhouse in February 2007 after she obtained a restraining order against him for stalking. The victim was critically injured and wasn't expected to live but pulled through after several surgeries.
Gary Payton, Oregon State (Ralph Miller and Jim Anderson) - Arrested in Los Angeles in August 2004 for investigation of driving under the influence after being stopped by police backing down an entrance ramp on the freeway. NCAA unanimous first-team All-American in 1990 was charged with assault stemming from a fight outside a Toronto club in April 2003.
Anthony Peeler, Missouri (Norm Stewart) - In 1998, a federal court jury in St. Louis awarded a woman $300,000 in damages and $2.1 million in punitive damages after she sued him and testified that he pinned her down and held a gun to her head. Just before the 1992 NBA draft, the Big Eight Conference player of the year had an assault charge dropped against him in Kansas City. Peeler, placed on five years' probation in Columbia, Mo., the previous week in connection with another assault charge, had been accused of punching a woman in the face and wrestling her to the ground.
Chuck Person, Auburn (Sonny Smith) - The Tigers' all-time leading scorer was fired as associate head coach under Bruce Pearl in fall of 2017 after he was indicted on six federal charges for bribery, fraud and conspiracy following his arrest by the FBI. All-American as senior in 1985-86 pleaded guilty to accepting $91,500 in bribes from an FBI-cooperating witness to influence players from his alma mater to sign with certain financial advisers and business managers when they turned pro. Person, who reportedly was broke and financially desperate after purchasing as many as 14 cars and financing the building of 10 different houses for family members, was also accused of helping facilitate money to players' families. He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service during a two-year probationary period.
John Pinone, Villanova (Rollie Massimino) - All-American as a senior in 1982-83 was sentenced in late 2010 to six months of home confinement and an additional six months of probation, fined $10,000 plus ordered to cooperate with IRS to resolve outstanding tax liabilities after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor filing a false tax return. Three-time All-Big East Conference first-team selection and co-owner of a bar reportedly skimmed $130,050 cash from 2003 to 2005.
Chris Porter, Auburn (Cliff Ellis) - SEC Player of the Year in 1998-99 when he was the leading scorer and rebounder for the Tigers' all-time winningest team faced a warrant in late September 2010 stemming from a probation violation after he was charged with driving under the influence. Porter pleaded guilty concurrently to a misdemeanor marijuana charge but the jail time (one year) was suspended as part of a plea agreement. He had been charged in April, 2006, with driving under the influence and second-degree possession of marijuana. In August 2001, he was also arrested in Alabama and charged with second-degree possession of marijuana and unlawful possession of a controlled substance. Porter was suspended during his senior season for accepting $2,500 from a sports agent. "You make bad decisions," Porter said. "That's life. We all make decisions that we have to live with, and I've made some bad decisions."
Howard Porter, Villanova (Jack Kraft) - Final Four Most Outstanding Player in 1971 served six months in jail for probation violation on a previous drug conviction. "I was a junkie like any other junkie," Porter told the Tampa Tribune. He was trying to trade money and crack cocaine for sex with a prostitute in St. Paul in May, 2007, when the probation officer was beaten to death, according to murder charges filed several months later.
Herman "J.R." Reid, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Two-time All-American in late 1980s was accused of spitting in student's face and suspended with teammate Steve Bucknall for 1987-88 season opener against Syracuse stemming from a confrontation involving N.C. State students at Shooters II, a Raleigh nightclub. Arrested in late summer 1995 when attempting to board a flight in San Antonio with an unloaded .45-caliber handgun in his carry-on luggage. Suspended for two NBA games in 1995-96 and fined $10,000 for intentionally throwing an elbow and dislodging two of A.C. Green's teeth.
Jason Richardson, Michigan State (Tom Izzo) - Leading scorer for 2001 Final Four team was found guilty of domestic violence in early summer of 2003 stemming from a dispute with an ex-girlfriend at her home in Saginaw, Mich., resulting in a three-game suspension by the NBA and a one-year probation sentence. Fresh off a DUI arrest, he was pulled over in late 2008 for going 90 mph in a 35-mph zone with his three-year-old son in the back of vehicle (although not in car seat).
J.R. Rider, UNLV (Jerry Tarkanian and Rollie Massimino) - In the fall of 2011 he was arrested on a parole violation in Arizona stemming from an incident the previous year when he fled police after they attempted to stop him from driving erratically. His chronic legal problems included an arrest at 5 a.m. in July, 2006, for felony cocaine possession at a home in the Oakland area. Bail was set at $2 million in six months earlier in Marin County (Calif.) following his arrest for kidnapping and battery of a female acquaintance. Rider also faced an outstanding warrant for resisting arrest in Alameda County. In May 1997, he was convicted of marijuana possession and later pleaded no contest to possessing unregistered cellular phones. There had been questions whether Rider, an All-American in 1992-93, did all the work in an English summer correspondence course allowing him to maintain his eligibility for Massimino's first season with the Rebels.
Anthony Roberts, Oral Roberts (Jerry Hale) - After a drug problem shortened his NBA career, he died at the age of 41 in March 1997 when a 19-year-old apartment complex neighbor in Tulsa shot the 1976-77 All-American in the back during a heated argument.
Alvin Robertson, Arkansas (Eddie Sutton) - All-SWC first-team selection in 1983-84 was sentenced to a year in jail in August, 1997, after pleading no contest to four misdemeanor charges stemming from confrontations with his ex-girlfriend. He previously agreed to undergo therapy for spousal abuse. Robertson was sentenced to three years in prison in 2002 for a probation violation involving a rape accusation. In San Antonio in late February 2010, Robertson faced sexual assault of a child and sex trafficking charges alleging he was among seven people who kidnapped a 14-year-old girl who was forced into prostitution and made to dance at a strip club. In mid-June 2014, he was arrested on a charge of violating terms of a bond involving his GPS ankle monitor. Seven months later, he was apprehended after being on the run for a week upon reportedly cutting off his GPS monitor. In late March 2015, court documents revealed he had accumulated 10 bond violations, including testing positive for methamphetamine.
Glenn Robinson Jr., Purdue (Gene Keady) - On May 15, 2003, a Cook County (Ill.) jury found the 1993-94 Big Ten Conference MVP guilty of domestic battery and assault after police charged him with attacking his former girlfriend and threatening to shoot her. In the summer of 1999, Robinson was arrested for disorderly intoxication after being denied entrance to a nightclub.
Rumeal Robinson, Michigan (Bill Frieder and Steve Fisher) - Best remembered for converting the game-winning free throws in the 1989 NCAA title game against Seton Hall, he was sentenced in early 2011 to 6 1/2 years in jail for financial fraud. The charges against Robinson were bank bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making a false statement to a financial institution. The two-time All-Big Ten Conference selection borrowed more than $700,000 from a bank in Iowa in 2004, claiming it was for a business. He used the money for personal purposes instead (buying a condominium, cars, furniture and investing in an energy company). He's a bankrupted "strip club addict," according to his adoptive brother. Sparked outrage in his Cambridge, Mass., hometown when he reportedly caused his adoptive mother to be forcibly removed from her home after being tricked into signing a deed that sold a house to Robinson's business associate while receiving no money.
Thomas Robinson, Kansas (Bill Self) - Big 12 Conference Player of the Year in 2011-12 was cited with misdemeanor battery in spring of 2011 following an incident at a nightclub. The city prosecutor dismissed charge involving spitting on a bouncer, who did not want the prosecution to go forward. Robinson completed 20 hours of community service and agreed to write a letter of apology to the victim.
Lou Roe, Massachusetts (John Calipari) - A woman successfully filed a restraining order against two-time All-American (1994 and 1995) in 2014, alleging he abused her, according to court documents. In 2015, a judge ordered him to pay back child support for the son he and the woman had together in April 2014.
Marshall Rogers, Kansas (Ted Owens)/Pan American (Abe Lemons) - The nation's leading scorer in 1975-76 with Pan American was arrested in his hometown of St. Louis in late June 1987 and charged with assault and petty theft in connection with a shoplifting incident (bottle of Mennen Skin Bracer, stick deodorant, a pair of white sunglasses and three Baby Ruth candy bars worth a total of $13) at a downtown Walgreen's drug store. Police said Rogers fought with two store managers, a security guard and three police officers before he was subdued after being struck in the head three times with a nightstick. Rogers, who was living with his mother and told arresting officers he had been out of work the previous three years, was confronted by store personnel and allegedly told them: "Here, you can have the Skin Bracer but that's all." After his diabetes worsened, he had both of his legs amputated below the knees before being checked into a nursing home in 2006. Rogers, who frequently clutched scrapbooks he kept of his playing exploits, died in mid-June 2011 at the age of 57 after refusing to undergo the kidney dialysis treatment doctors said he needed.
Jalen Rose, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - The Wolverines' leader in assists for back-to-back Final Four teams in 1992 and 1993 was arrested around 2 a.m. in March 2011 on suspicion of drunken driving. Accused of operating a vehicle (Cadillac Escalade) while impaired (said he drank six martinis), he declined to take a Breathalyzer. Rose, who put the unbecoming "Uncle Tom" tag on Duke, was pulled from the air briefly by ESPN for failing to disclose his DUI arrest shortly after the release of a controversial documentary about his time with the Fab Five. Given a speeding ticket only hours after being ordered to serve 93 days in jail (all but 20 of them suspended; served 16 days).
Curtis Rowe, UCLA (John Wooden) - Two-time All-American while playing for three straight NCAA champions from 1969 through 1971 was charged in mid-October 1989 with possession of cocaine after Detroit police said they saw him and a companion throw packets of drugs on the ground. Arrested in late February 2008 in a drug raid in a building on Detroit's west side as officers found him with a baggie containing a substance believed to be heroin on his person.
Clifford Rozier, North Carolina (Dean Smith)/Louisville (Denny Crum) - After years of personal and legal trouble (five arrests and bankruptcy), the 1994 first-team All-American was incarcerated in his hometown of Bradenton, Fla., in May 2001, after being charged with grand theft auto. Rozier, jailed after an accusation of stealing a Manatee County sheriff deputy's personal car, was on the run for about a month before police apprehended him in Orlando. His ex-wife had him committed various times to a psychiatric care facility under Florida's Baker Act. Drug panhandler had three vehicles repossessed and his liabilities included child support to three women. After spending time in jail cells and psychiatric wards, Rozier lived in a halfway house following a 2006 arrest on an assault charge. Arrested in summer of 1998 on charges of assaulting his mother but the case was dropped.
Brandon Rush, Kansas (Bill Self) - Leading scorer for 2008 NCAA titlist was suspended five games for violating NBA drug policy in late August 2010. Arrested while in college for not appearing in court to settle multiple traffic incidents. Faced family court date in spring of 2008 related to a child-support case.
Ralph Sampson, Virginia (Terry Holland) - Three-time national player of the year from 1981 through 1983 was accused of lying to federal authorities about his finances in a child-support case. Sampson pleaded guilty in 2005 in Richmond to failing to pay about $300,000 in court-ordered child support for two children who live in northern Virginia and have different mothers. Sentencing was postponed after he was indicted on perjury and false claim charges before mail fraud and false-statement allegations were added. In a plea agreement, he was slated to serve two months in jail for mail fraud.
Ralph Simpson, Michigan State (Gus Ganakas) - All-American in his only season with the Spartans in 1969-70 was sentenced to 10 years probation in June 1989 after pleading guilty to defrauding a creditor in Aurora, Colo. Operating a credit-counseling business helping people with poor credit ratings finance new cars, he was accused of arranging for people to buy cars by using false credit information on loan applications.
Sean Singletary, Virginia (Pete Gillen and Dave Leitao) - All-American as junior in 2006-07 was arrested in early March 2015 around 4:00 a.m. on a DUI charge (license subsequently revoked by court for 90 days).
Scott Skiles, Michigan State (Jud Heathcote) - Nation's second-leading scorer in 1985-86 incurred two DUI arrests, a drug possession arrest, two jail sentences and 18 days behind bars during a 16-month span in mid-1980s. As a result of all those indiscretions, he received a one-game suspension.
Charles E. Smith, Georgetown (John Thompson Jr.) - Big East Conference MVP in 1988-89 served 29 months of a 4 1/2-year prison sentence for vehicular homicide. Smith, involved in a late-night hit-and-run accident, was driving a rented van that struck and killed two Boston University female students on a busy city street. An assistant district attorney argued in court Smith had been drinking, and an eyewitness testified he ran a red light. In October 2010, he was found shot in the upper body in Bowie, Md., in a house where a significant amount of cocaine and evidence of a gambling operation were found. Smith had been a part-time bartender at a sports bar. The shooting reportedly stemmed from a gambling debt.
Damon Stoudamire, Arizona (Lute Olson) - Co-Pacific-10 Conference Player of the Year in 1994-95 was arrested three times on marijuana-related charges in 2002 and 2003. "You live and you learn," Stoudamire said.
Rod Strickland, DePaul (Joey Meyer) - D.C. police charged him with driving while under the influence and reckless driving in April, 1999, after the 1987-88 All-American drove his gold Mercedes Benz through three red lights. Four years earlier, he was arrested in New York and charged with hitting his former girlfriend. In late October 2000, he was charged with refusing to leave a restaurant that was being closed by fire marshals in Washington. Strickland was a Kentucky assistant coach in the spring of 2010 when he was arrested around 3 a.m. for DUI, running a red light, having expired tags and insurance violations after failing a sobriety test. A couple of years later, he was arrested near UK's campus and charged with driving on a DUI suspended license.
Caleb Swanigan, Purdue (Matt Painter) - Unanimous All-American in 2016-17 was arrested around 2:00 a.m. on drug charges (police found 3.4 pounds of weed as well as $3,415 in cash and some drug paraphernalia) just before Christmas 2020.
Stromile Swift, Louisiana State (John Brady) - All-American in 1999-00 was arrested in Shreveport in mid-May 2011 for stalking the same ex-girlfriend he allegedly threatened three months earlier by sending menacing text messages and then showing up at her home with a gun.
Roy Tarpley, Michigan (Bill Frieder) - All-American in 1984-85 and 1985-86 was charged in Denton County (Tex.) in May 1998 with assault and failure to appear in court. The charges stemmed from an alleged attack on a woman. Days after being released from jail in April, 2003, in the wake of serving more than a month for a probation violation, he filed for personal bankruptcy. Tarpley played for the Dallas Mavericks from 1986 until he was thrown out of the NBA in October 1991 for using cocaine, a violation of the league's substance-abuse policy. Leslie Rockymore, a former UM teammate, claimed Tarpley failed drug tests in college but was given a free pass.
Tyshawn Taylor, Kansas (Bill Self) - In the spring of 2015, the assists leader for 2012 NCAA Tournament runner-up allegedly cashed a fake money order for $1,000 cash at a food store in his hometown of Hoboken, N.J. Sustained a dislocated thumb in fall of 2009 in an altercation involving several football and basketball players outside of the student union building. Late in 2010-11 campaign, KU suspended Taylor and a women's hooper for reportedly getting frisky playing unauthorized one-on-one inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Isiah Thomas, Indiana (Bob Knight) - A Detroit TV reporter filed an assault and battery complaint against Thomas during his playing days with the Pistons, claiming Thomas choked him and threw him against a car. A jury decided in the fall of 2007 that Thomas sexually harassed a former Knicks team executive, subjecting the former Northwestern basketball player to unwanted advances and a barrage of vulgarity (Madison Square Garden eventually settled for $11.5 million). The CBA almost disbanded after Thomas purchased the minor league before selling his interest in 2000. Multiple CBA executives said Thomas was "rude. . . . very poor business person. . . . doesn't listen to people. . . . makes poor decisions."
David Thompson, North Carolina State (Norm Sloan) - National player of the year in 1973-74 and 1974-75 had well-publicized involvement with cocaine. He was accused of assaulting his wife while free-basing cocaine (served 180-day sentence in minimum security prison in 1987), filed for bankruptcy and suffered a severe knee injury in a dispute at Studio 54 in New York.
Jamaal Tinsley, Iowa State (Larry Eustachy) - All-American playmaker in 2000-01 was charged with harassing a public official after a minor traffic accident plus lying to police about who was driving a car hitting a light pole and then leaving the scene on New Year's Eve 2000. In early December 2007, he was shot at about 3:40 when leaving a hotel club with entourage utilizing three cars owned by him (Mercedes, Rolls Royce and Dodge Charger). It was Tinsley's third late-night episode in a 14-month span with the NBA's Indiana Pacers. In high school, he got arrested for committing a robbery and spent a week in a juvenile detention center before attending a community college in California.
Bernard Toone, Marquette (Al McGuire and Hank Raymonds) - All-American in 1978-79 was charged with attempted grand larceny, criminal possession of burglar's tools and criminal mischief in April 1988 in White Plains, N.Y., after allegedly attempting to steal a car stereo system from a new Porsche. Toone had been arrested twice in less than a year in 1985--charged with third-degree grand larceny for allegedly stealing a car radio and pleading guilty to unauthorized use of a motor vehicle after he was arrested at a fast-food restaurant in a rental car that had been reported stolen.
Robert "Tractor" Traylor, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - All-Big Ten Conference first-team selection in 1997-98 was sentenced to three years of probation after pleading guilty in federal court in Detroit in January 2007 to a federal income tax charge, the result of receiving and concealing stolen property while hiding assets for a convicted drug dealer (Traylor's cousin Quasand Lewis). He was also accused of laundering $4 million of drug money for the same cousin who sold an estimated $178 million in illegal drugs in Metro Detroit and had associates with suspected links to nearly a dozen murders plus four fire-bombed homes, according to federal authorities. Prior to connection with his coarse cousin, Traylor was part of a scandal causing the NCAA to nail his alma mater. Traylor admitted that, as a high school and college player, he and his family accepted some $160,000 in cash and gifts from a local hoops junkie who ran an illegal lottery at area Ford plants. In May 2011, Traylor was found dead in his apartment at the age of 34 in Puerto Rico, where he was playing professionally.
Jimmy Walker, Providence (Joe Mullaney) - First-team All-American in 1965-66 and 1966-67 was sentenced in April 1983 to 90 days in prison, three years of probation and 250 hours of community service on charges of failing to file federal income tax returns in 1976 and 1977. In college, he pleaded guilty to two paternity suits and was sentenced to six years probation.
Kenny Walker, Kentucky (Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton) - Two-time NCAA consensus All-American after helping UK reach 1984 Final Four received seven-day jail sentence after pleading guilty to menacing his wife. He had been arrested in early January 1996 and charged with assault for allegedly choking his spouse.
John Wall, Kentucky (John Calipari) - Unanimous first-team All-American as freshman in 2009-10 was charged in spring of 2009 with misdemeanor breaking and entering after police found him walking out the rear of a vacant house for sale in his Raleigh, N.C., hometown. He previously was known as Crazy J for his incorrigible lifestyle. Wall's father was incarcerated for armed robbery of a convenience store after serving time for second-degree murder of his housewife. An older half-brother also was imprisoned in 1999 following conviction for second-degree murder. "Without basketball, that's where I was going," Wall told ESPN. "No sense lyin' about it or comin' up with somethin' that sounds good. I was going down the same road as my dad."
John Wallace, Syracuse (Jim Boeheim) - A little over a year after becoming an All-American in 1995-96, his girlfriend withdrew a harassment charge alleging he punched her in the face and choked her during a quarrel over their son. Arrested in Brooklyn for driving with a suspended license in late February 2016. Also charged in summer of 1996 for failing to follow officers' instructions after issuance of a ticket.
Rasheed Wallace, North Carolina (Dean Smith) - Second-leading scorer and rebounder for 1995 Final Four team apologized in court and agreed to perform 50 hours of community service plus seek counseling following accusation of choking the mother of his child while visiting her and the infant over Easter weekend in 1996. Arrested with Portland "Jail Blazers" teammate in late November 2002 in a speeding car in which officers smelled pot.
Kermit Washington, American University (Tom Young) - One of six players averaging more than 20 ppg and 20 rpg in his major-college career (20.1 ppg/20.2 rpg from 1970-71 through 1972-73) pleaded guilty to three felonies and faced up to eight years in prison and fine up to $750,000. Originally, the AU All-American as a senior faced up to 40 years in prison and $1 million in fines if convicted of charges brought against him in spring of 2016 by a federal grand jury that he orchestrated scheme evading taxes and defrauding donors to his charities under the pretense of helping the needy in Africa. Washington's NBA career was irreparably damaged after nearly killing Rudy Tomjanovich with a punch during a game in 1977.
Chris Webber, Michigan (Steve Fisher) - Charged with marijuana possession and assaulting a police officer in 1998. He was pulled over and resisted the officer. The vehicle was impounded and traces of marijuana were found inside. Also that year, he was arrested by customs officials for possession of marijuana as he returned from a promotional trip to Puerto Rico. Indicted by a federal grand jury in Detroit in September, 2002, on four felony counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice and lying to federal investigators (regarding money laundering tied to a shady UM booster, a bookmaker who was convicted of tax evasion and robbery before dying of a heart attack before he testified against Webber, who subsequently pleaded guilty to one count of criminal intent for lying about his role in the scandal). Suspended in mid-February, 2004, for five games by the NBA for violating the league's anti-drug program. Sued over the closing of his Sacramento restaurant after signing a 20-year lease in 2005.
Bonzi Wells, Ball State (Ray McCallum) - He and Portland Trail Blazers teammate Erick Barkley cited for criminal trespass in 2001 after refusing to follow the order of an officer to leave the scene of a fight near a downtown nightclub. Suspended for one game without pay in November 2002 for spitting on an opposing player (the Spurs' Danny Ferry). Wells told SI: "We're (the Jail Blazers) not really going to worry about what the hell (the fans) think about us." Suspended two games for publicly cursing at his coach, suspended one game without pay for fined $10,000 for intentionally striking an official during a game and was noted for making obscene gestures to the crowd when things didn't go well. A judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by a Muncie, Ind., man and his mother in spring of 2013 including charges of damaging the front door of their home, threatening them and later battering the man.
Delonte West, St. Joseph's (Phil Martelli) - All-American guard in 2003-04 was suspended for the first 10 games of the 2010-11 NBA season after pleading guilty to weapons charges in Maryland. Authorities said he was carrying two loaded handguns, a loaded shotgun and an 8 1/2-inch Bowie knife while speeding on a three-wheel motorcycle (complete with sidecar) on the Capital Beltway the previous September. Battling bipolar disorder, he received home detention, probation and community service. His wife filed a domestic violence against him in the fall of 2009 and he was spotted loitering around a fast-food parking lot in a hospital robe without his shoes in Houston in mid-February 2016. Nearly three years later, multiple disturbing videos surfaced on social media of West rambling incoherently and apparently homeless in Washington, D.C.
Charles "Hawkeye" Whitney, North Carolina State (Norm Sloan) - Drug abuser was sentenced in June 1996 to 69 months in prison for the armed kidnapping of former White House lawyer Mark Fabiani. "I'm a recovering (cocaine) addict, and I will be for the rest of my life," said Whitney, an All-American in 1979-80. "I'm just grateful I have this chance to get it right. A lot of people die on the streets."
Frank Williams, Illinois (Lon Kruger and Bill Self) - Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 2000-01 was arrested with his younger brother (Aaron) in June 2009, after agents for a multi-county enforcement group executed a search warrant at a Peoria, Ill., home. Agents seized 78 grams of marijuana, a digital scale and a .40-caliber handgun. In a plea bargain, Frank was sentenced to two years of probation and a $1,000 fine. In July 2013, Williams was booked for domestic battery.
Freeman Williams, Portland State (Ken Edwards) - NCAA runner-up to Pete Maravich in all-time scoring (3,249 points from 1974-75 through 1977-78) developed a drug addiction and Los Angeles native was charged with possession near the turn of the 21st Century. "I'm not going to lie about the drugs," Williams told the Oregonian before asking author for $20. "It was cocaine. I went two or three years in a bad stretch."
James "Fly" Williams, Austin Peay (Lake Kelly) - Brownsville, N.Y., product served two years on a drug possession rap in the mid-1990s after spending 14 months in Attica and two other prisons stemming from charges of attempted robbery, unlawful imprisonment, weapons possession and menacing. After a pickup game in Starrett City in 1987, the drug-ravaged 1972-73 All-American got in an argument with a friend over money and was shot by an off-duty court officer with a shotgun. In the spring of 2017, he was busted in "Operation Flying High" as the kingpin of a massive drug ring peddling two million vials of heroin worth estimated $12 million to $20 million in his former Brooklyn neighborhood.
Sylvester "Sly" Williams, Rhode Island (Jack Kraft) - All-American in 1977-78 and 1978-79 faced felony charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and first-degree kidnapping in connection with an incident in September 2001 in Endicott, N.Y. Prosecutors accused him of having sex with a 42-year-old woman against her will at her home. Williams, working for a pipe and plastics company at the time of his arrest, pleaded guilty to a single kidnapping charge on the eve of jury selection and was sentenced to five years in prison. Previously, he received a suspended prison sentence in 1991 in New Haven, Conn., on abuse charges filed by his girlfriend.
Terrence Williams, Louisville (Rick Pitino) - Third-team All-American in 2008-09 was arrested in his hometown of Seattle on May 19, 2013, in a domestic violence case although the county prosecutor's office chose not to file charges. As they were exchanging their 10-year-old son fathered when he was 15, Williams allegedly brandished a gun and made threats at the mother during an argument. Williams' 20-year old father was murdered when Williams was only six; a few days after he was released from prison. His young mother was also in jail at the time and appeared at the funeral in chains. Williams was placed on the inactive list by the New Jersey Nets during the 2010-11 season for repeated violations of team rules. He denied salacious allegations in an escort's book about UL, calling himself the "Elvis Presley" of The Ville and asked why he would need to pay anybody for dirty dancing or sex.
Lorenzen Wright, Memphis (Larry Finch) - His badly-decomposing body, indicating at least five shots from multiple shooters, was found in a secluded field near a golf course in southeast Memphis in late July 2010. A 911 operator took an emergency call from Wright's cell phone and believes he heard gunshots in the background. Wright was in arrears on his $26,000-a-month alimony and child-support payments for his six children. Court documents show Wright, an All-American in 1995-96 as a sophomore, acknowledged to the FBI in 2008 that he sold a Mercedes sedan and Cadillac SUV to an individual known by authorities to be part of a drug kingpin gang. Despite earning an estimated $55 million over his 13-year NBA career, Wright's $1.3 million home in Atlanta was repossessed along with a $2.7 million home near Memphis he owned. His ex-wife claimed in a book she wrote that she was trapped in an abusive marriage. But Sherra Wright-Robinson was arrested in California in mid-December 2017 in his death and charged with conspiracy, first-degree murder and criminal attempt first-degree murder along with deacon from her previous church. The case blossomed when an FBI dive team searched a lake in Walnut, Miss., and found a gun authorities said was used in the murder. In 2014, she agreed to a confidential settlement in a dispute over how she spent $1 million in insurance earmarked to benefit their children. She received a 30-year sentence in summer of 2019 after pleading guilty to facilitation of first-degree murder.
Bob "Zeke" Zawoluk, St. John's (Frank McGuire) - All-American in 1950-51 and 1951-52 after scoring school-record 65 points against St. Peter's in 1949-50 had turbulent life including vast emotional instability, an arson rap, crack addiction, grand larceny conviction and prison. After getting fired by one of a series of auto dealers for which he worked, he got even in an alcohol-fueled rage in Queens and Nassau County in 1986, dousing two luxury cars with gasoline, torching them, then ramming into 17 other cars, before being apprehended after a high-speed chase. Following another transgression, he was paroled on Christmas Eve, 1993, after serving nearly two years at Clinton Correctional Facility on robbery and grand larceny charges. A subsequent positive drug test violated his parole and sent him to Rikers Island in the mid-1990s.