More from athletes behaving badly
Posted: Thursday, September 24, 2009 8:56 AM
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Attention all Bracketologists: Hold off on penciling in Binghamton for back-to-back appearances in the Big Dance.
The Bearcats’ senior point guard, Emanuel “Tiki” Mayben, was arrested and found with 3.4 grams of cocaine on Wednesday, according to police. He already was being sought on a two-count indictment for third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, but was charged with two additional felony drug possession counts, the Times Union reported (Albany, N.Y.) reported.
It seems doubtful Mayben will return to the team given the litany of charges, but who knows? Binghamton is the third school at which he’s played, so he’s used to second chances.
The school – you can hear ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser mention his alma mater occasional on PTI – must be tired of its players’ shenanigans, too.
As Rush the Court details, Miladin Kovacevic allegedly beat another student into a coma and fled the country after posting bail, while Malik Alvin was arrested in 2007 for trying to steal condoms from a Wal-Mart (is that going too far for safe sex? Two basketball players at my high school once got busted for the same thing).
Hm. Maybe the Kansas’ fracas isn’t the worst thing that can happen to a school…
UPDATE: The Quad, N.Y. Times' college blog, tracked down Kornheiser for his reaction to the arrest and the school's reputation as UNLV East. I don't think Tony's amused.
“I know there’s been scrutiny,” he told the Quad. “It’s been a program I defended and liked very much. I know the athletic director and the president. It’s my school. I wouldn’t necessarily say it’s a tipping point. It’s certainly going to bring more scrutiny. It would have to advance along whatever scrutiny has been there already.”
But he's clear on one thing: He's a proud alum, but doesn't want to be seen as the school's spokesperson.
“Whatever you quote me as saying, I’m not a spokesman for the university,” he said. “I’m an alum. I have a lot of visibility, holding up the Bearcat. I’m not a spokesman for the university, not their defender or lawyer or anything. I’m a guy who went to Binghamton with visibility.”
