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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Stoudamire Status Remains Uncertain Arizona Still Hasn’t Heard From Ncaa On His Eligibility

Associated Press

Arizona, seeking to restore the eligibility of star guard Damon Stoudamire, has no assurance its appeal will be decided before the NCAA tournament begins, an NCAA official said Monday.

The All-American, who was declared ineligible with teammate Ben Davis last weekend because of alleged NCAA rules violations, refused to discuss his status.

“I’m not talking,” Stoudamire said. “Not this week,”

Stoudamire has retained a lawyer, Arizona athletic director Jim Livengood confirmed.

On Saturday, Stoudamire, Livengood and Arizona coach Lute Olson said Stoudamire was innocent of any wrongdoing.

The university faxed separate appeals Monday concerning each player to the NCAA’s eligibility office, with the tournament hopes of the Wildcats, a Final Four team last season, resting in the balance.

Livengood said he was confident of a decision before fifth-seeded Arizona (23-7) opens play in Thursday’s first game of the Midwest regional against 12th-seeded Miami of Ohio in Dayton, Ohio.

“I am sure that the seriousness, the magnitude, the urgency of this will probably be looked at by a great number of people in Kansas City,” Livengood said.

But Carrie Doyle, NCAA director of eligibility in Overland Park, Kan., said there is “no guarantee” her staff will be able to reach its decision before the game.

A committee on eligibility would hear an appeal if the staff’s ruling is unfavorable to Arizona, Doyle said, but its chairman, from fellow Pac-10 school Arizona State, wouldn’t take part.

There is no further appeal within the NCAA.

The university declared the players ineligible pending appeal in the face of a potential two-year ban from NCAA tournament play.

Livengood hinted that as a result, it was unlikely the university could sue the NCAA to reinstate the players if there’s an unfavorable ruling. But either player could seek an injunction to force the university to reinstate eligibility.

Stoudamire, the Pac-10 scoring and assists leader, was selected the conference’s co-player of the year Friday with UCLA’s Ed O’Bannon. He and Davis, a top reserve centerpower forward, will be allowed to travel and practice, Livengood said.

Davis is accused of having violated a NCAA rule against gifts by taking shoes from a longtime friend, another college basketball player later declared ineligible in connection with accepting shoes from an agent.

Another NCAA rule bars a player or relative from accepting transportation from a sports agent.