Concussions end career for junior Pitt guard Gribble
Former Post-Gazette player of the year Alayna Gribble will no longer compete at Pitt due to multiple concussions.
Gribble, a junior guard for the Panthers who helped Norwin High School win two WPIAL Class 4A championships, has been medically disqualified from the sport, Pitt announced Friday afternoon.
“Alayna Gribble is the epitome of what we look for in a student-athlete and we are heartbroken for her having to give up the game she loves,” first-year coach Lance White said in a statement.
A 6-foot guard, Gribble played four of the first five games this season but hasn’t played since Nov. 19. In her first two seasons, she played 48 games, starting 15 for former coach Suzie McConnell-Serio. She was Pitt’s top 3-point shooter both years.
Gribble’s disqualification means she will remain on athletic scholarship, but it will not count against Pitt’s limit of 15 for the women’s basketball team.
“Although I can no longer play basketball with my team, I will be on the sidelines cheering them on and providing any insight that I can to help our team be successful,” Gribble said in a statement. “Embrace all of the opportunities that basketball can provide and appreciate the journey. I am excited for the next chapter of my life. H2P.”
Gribble, an accounting major, twice tied the program record for 3-pointers made in a game with seven, first in her freshman year and again as a sophomore.
Connecticut
The University of Connecticut announced self-imposed penalties Friday for violations of NCAA rules under former coach Kevin Ollie. The Huskies fired Ollie after a 14-18 season a year ago and later detailed numerous NCAA violations it said were committed during his tenure.
The NCAA investigated and sent a notice in September detailing allegations that included unethical conduct by Ollie, who it said provided false or misleading information about calls to a recruit from two former stars, Hall of Famer Ray Allen and San Antonio Spurs guard Rudy Gay.
The NCAA characterized the violations as “a severe breach of conduct.”
In a response to the NCAA, Connecticut accepted responsibility for the violations but put blame for them squarely on Ollie. Connecticut is hoping that by penalizing itself it can avoid further sanctions.
Beyond reducing scholarships next season from 13 to 12, the school said it will: Enforce a one-week ban on unofficial visits in 2019; enforce a one-week ban on recruit communications in the current academic year; reduce by one the number of official visits; reduce from 130 to 126 the number of recruiting days; pay a $5,000 fine to the NCAA; and prohibit studentmanagers from attending pickup games involving team members.
Miami
Coach Jim Larranaga says forward Dewan Hernandez deserves to be declared eligible by the NCAA because he unwittingly became entangled in a college basketball corruption case when he was duped by an AAU coach.
Hernandez has sat out the first 16 games of the season awaiting a ruling on his eligibility, which could come before Miami’s game Saturday against No. 13ranked North Carolina.
In 2018, a federal jury found three men guilty of fraud charges for channeling secret payment to the families of recruits to influence their choices of schools, apparel companies and agents. Hernandez was among more than a dozen players listed in a business plan to pay prospective NBA players.
“He got duped by his AAU coach,” Larranaga said.
The coach, Jordan Fair, was an assistant at Louisville before being fired after the scandal broke in 2017.
Larranaga said Hernandez remains on schedule to graduate, continues to practice with the scout team and starters and sits on the bench at home games.
Meanwhile, North Carolina coach Roy Williams said Sterling Manley will miss his sixth consecutive game at Miami due to lingering knee soreness. Manley hasn’t played since Dec. 29 against Davidson.