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 Tuesday, January 4
Williams waits at Oklahoma State
 
By Andy Katz
ESPN.com

 The fate of suspended Oklahoma State freshman forward Andre Williams is in the hands of the NCAA as it determines whether he has to repay tuition for a year he spent at prep school.

Sources told ESPN.com that Williams' year at Maine Central Institute in 1998-99 was paid for by Kansas City businessman Tom Grant. Grant, who hasn't returned phone calls from ESPN.com, had a pre-existing relationship with Williams and his AAU teammates while Grant helped sponsor the Kansas City-based CMH 76ers in the mid-'90s. Sources said the NCAA is deciding whether or not Williams was given special treatment because he was a basketball player.

And then there were four
The week begins with only four undefeated teams remaining: LSU (12-0), Syracuse (9-0), Marshall (10-0) and Stanford (11-0). But only Stanford (No. 1) and Syracuse (No. 8) are in the top 25 poll.

But Grant's relationship with former CMH 76er JaRon Rush didn't hurt his eligibility at UCLA. Grant admitted to the NCAA that he leased a car to JaRon Rush and took him on family vacations to the Caribbean when Rush was in high school, according to a newly published book, "Sole Influence," by Dan Wetzel and Don Yaeger. According to the book, Grant's relationship with Rush prevented him from going to Kansas but not from being eligible at UCLA. Grant is an alumnus of Kansas.

Williams was suspended by Oklahoma State prior to the Dec. 18 game at UNLV after federal authorities questioned him in relation to an investigation into alleged tax evasion by former Kansas City-based AAU coach Myron Piggie Sr. During questioning, Williams acknowledged that he received extra benefits, according to sources.

Sources said he was given $250 in extra benefits and an agreement has been reached for him to repay that money to charity. Former AAU teammate Kareem Rush of Missouri has to repay $1,800 and must sit out nine games before he can be reinstated for a similar offense. The resolution of the case involving his brother, JaRon, has been slowed because it involves $200 from an agent. Rush, who is at home in Kansas City, is expected to return to Los Angeles on Jan. 9. He could practice on Jan. 10.

Williams, who played at Kansas City's Schlagle High before he went to MCI, hasn't missed a practice since he was suspended. He even accompanied the team on game trips to Las Vegas (UNLV), Seattle (Washington) and New Orleans (LSU).

Owls at full strength
Temple coach John Chaney said Monday that point guard Pepe Sanchez and forward Mark Karcher could play in Wednesday's Atlantic 10 opener against Rhode Island or Saturday against St. Joseph's in Philadelphia.

Sanchez hasn't seen action since suffering an ankle sprain after playing in the opener against Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 21. Sanchez scored nine points, had seven rebounds and dished out 10 assists in the victory. Karcher missed last week's drubbing at Wisconsin with a sore shoulder.

The Sanchez and Karcher-less Owls were missing 30 percent of their offense in shooting a paltry 27.1 percent in the loss to the Badgers. The 44 points scored were the Owls' lowest point total in three years. Temple (6-3) dropped from a top-five preseason ranking to No. 21 in the latest ESPN/USA Today coaches poll.

Red Storm rising
St. John's has at least three members of its top-rated recruiting class eligible. Red Storm coaches have confirmed with ESPN.com that New York-area signees 6-foot-1 Omar Cook (Christ the King HS/Middle Village, N.Y.), 6-8 Kyle Cuff (Rice HS/Manhattan, N.Y.), 6-5 Willie Shaw (Stevenson HS/Bronx, N.Y.) have all qualified academically.

Meanwhile, the top catch -- 6-9 Darius Miles -- has been allowed to take an untimed standardized test. Miles will take the ACT sometime during the winter. NBA scouts have been seen watching Miles in high school tournaments, in case he doesn't become eligible and decides to skip college. No word yet on 6-7 Eric King (Lincoln HS/Brooklyn, N.Y.) and 6-11 Mohammed Diakite (Montrose Christian Academy/Rockville, Md.).

Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.

 



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