Gophers standout Lynch suspended
MINNEAPOLIS — The University of Minnesota’s athletic director suspended basketball standout Reggie Lynch from team competition Friday due to an alleged violation of the school’s sexual misconduct policy after a second woman accused him of assault.
The most recent accusation came last fall from a woman who said the Gophers center assaulted her on April 28, 2016, in his dorm room at Roy Wilkins Hall, according to documents from the university’s Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action office. Its investigation found Lynch, the 2016-17 Big Ten defensive player of the year, should be suspended and banned from campus until Aug. 1, 2020.
He has appealed the punishment, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported. That allows the 23-year-old Lynch to remain enrolled in school and practice with the Gophers until the process is completed.
Athletic director Mark Coyle defended his decision to allow Lynch to remain a member of the team, which he did not do at the end of the 2016 season for the 10 football players investigated for sexual misconduct by the EOAA. In that case, the football team threatened to boycott its bowl game before backing off. Four of those players were exonerated upon appeal.
“People should trust the procedures that we have in place,” Coyle said Friday at a news conference at Williams Arena. “We have procedures that have been reviewed by outside agencies. We have procedures that people have focused on and worked on to a fault. Those procedures include providing due process for everybody involved.”
Coyle declined to answer almost every question from reporters about the situation, citing federal and state student privacy laws. Minneapolis police are not investigating the alleged assault, police spokesman Scott Seroka said.
Harris done at Mizzou
COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri point guard Blake Harris has announced he plans to transfer and continue his college basketball career elsewhere.
The 6-foot-3 freshman averaged 3.8 points and a team-high 3.1 assists in 13.9 minutes per game for Missouri (11-3) this season. He set career highs with 11 points and nine assists in a win over Long Beach State on Nov. 23.
Harris was part of a much-heralded recruiting class for first-year coach Cuonzo Martin, joining the Tigers along with fellow freshmen Jontay Porter, Michael Porter Jr., C.J. Roberts and Jeremiah Tilmon.
Harris had been starting recently until coming off the bench and going scoreless in 11 minutes during Missouri’s win over South Carolina on Wednesday night to open Southeastern Conference play. Martin said Harris had been ill earlier in the week.
The Tigers host Florida (10-4) today.
Coach arrested
MADISON, Wis. — Authorities said University of Wisconsin-Rock County men’s basketball coach Jamal Mosley has been arrested for allegedly punching an official after a game.
The State Journal reported Mosley is accused of punching Madison official Pat Henderson after Rock County’s 80-76 loss at UW-Waukesha on Wednesday night. Mosley was arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct and battery, though he has not been formally charged.
A UW Colleges spokeswoman said Mosley is on paid leave from the two-year school and an internal investigation is being conducted. Henderson declined to comment about the incident but said he has officiated basketball games for 33 years.