| Show Gets for Semester After Grades Slip i. i 1 By Andy Crow Crowt t- t Sports Editor Brigham Young University suffered suffered suffered suf suf- yet another setback in its attempt to return to WAC basketball prominence Mekeli Wesley whom many considered considered considered con con- the future of BYU basketball basket basket- ball baJ was as suspended this his last week last eek for the first ten games of the upcoming upcoming upcoming ing cougar basketball season for bad grades gr des Wesley will be attending Salt Lake Community College this fall to bolster his grade point average and become eligible for the WAC season in mid January The 6 10 power forward forward forward for for- ward also cited his recent marriage as a reason to take a little more seriously seriously seriously seri seri- his college education BYU has had to endure problem after problem in its athletic program the past few years In the basketball program alone there was the firing of Head Coach Roger Reid in 1996 after failing home attendance and failing play on the court for the Cougars forced Reid out of a job The tie Cougars then hired Steve Cleveland Cleveland Cleveland Cleve Cleve- land out of Fresno City Community College in 1997 hoping to revitalize interest in the basketball program for players and fans alike After showing flashes of improvement the program took another hit when then star player Ron was arrested for disturbing disturbing disturbing dis dis- dis- dis the peace and possession of marijuana in his Provo apartment Guard Mike Garrett who was with at the time of the arrest was kicked off the team along with Sell Sell- when BYUs BYU's honor code board was made aware of the situation Garrett has expressed a desire to return to BYU in the fall of 1999 With all the things happening inthe in inthe the football program the list could go goon goon goon on forever But one thing is certain i the BYU athletic program is in a adeep deep hole with seemingly no way out r The Wesley incident is just another er episode in that long list of recent r J run ins BYU student athletes have haver r code had with the schools school's honor r The word from BYU officials is t. t w 1 that Wesley will attend for f fall ll semester of 1998 and then transfer back to BYU for Winter semester With that scenario Wesley would miss BYUs BYU's first ten preseason games but no conference games Cleveland has made it very clear that he has no intention of changing his plans of recruiting more minorities minorities minorities minori minori- ties and non non- non Mormons non int Jhc the pm- pm re- re dominantly white Mormon school But is that strategy working BYU has had incident after incident incident incident inci inci- dent in regards with its student athletes athletes athletes ath ath- ath- ath letes and their run ins with the lawand law lawand lawand and the honor code the last two years The University of Utah has a large population of non-Mormon non and African American athletes who have had their ups and downs but their are more ups than downs Keith Van Horn was from California California California Cali Cali- fornia and stayed at Utah for the entire four years amidst the culture shock and the death of his father Also at Utah point guard Andre Miller who is considered the best college point guard in America had academic problems of his own Miller was signed on by Coach Rick Majerus as a Proposition 48 player Prop 48 players are players in any sport who are considered ineligible to play their freshman year because of grades below the required 20 and below a on their SATs Miller sat out his freshman season season season sea sea- son and has stayed on to graduate atthe atthe at atthe the U and recently this year decided to stay and play playa a fifth year for Utah Miller said he will finish his first year of graduate school while playing playing playing play play- ing this season for Majerus and the Utes BYU running back Ronnie Jenkins Jenkins Jenkins Jenk Jenk- ins is back this season after a stellar freshman campaign in 1996 and a aone aone aone for violating violating violating vio vio- one year suspension in 1997 lating the honor code Jenkins is also not Mormon With Wesley leaving the team for forthe forthe forthe the first few months of the season the team and Head Coach Steve Cleveland will be in dire need of Wesley's basketball skills and lead lead- Since Wesley will only be here for this semester and only miss the first ten preseason games he will not be able to play for the 1999 1998 Bruin mens men's team The Cougars are coming off another sub-par sub season in which two of their best players left the program the Mekeli Wesley incident occurred and Cleveland and his staff endured another exodus of scholarship players play play- ers to Mormon missions It has to be- be bea a relief for Coach Cleveland and the BYU staff knowing knowing knowing know know- ing that Wesley will only be gone forthe for forthe forthe the first part of the season with the team With the BYU atmosphere an atmosphere that is predominantly Mormon and white it will continue to be tough for Cougar non-Mormon non student athletes to succeed in fitting in and keeping in line with the schools school's honor code than any other college in the US U.S. |
