Georgetown’s Brunner Leaves School

Georgetown freshman point guard Kenny Brunner, from Compton Dominguez High, has decided to withdraw from school and return to the Los Angeles area.

Brunner did not play in Georgetown’s 76-56 victory over Notre Dame at Washington on Saturday and after the game was waiting to talk with Georgetown Coach John Thompson when the team returned to the school campus.

Thompson said Brunner has been receiving counseling for a problem not related to the team or academics. Team spokesman Bill Shapland said Thompson and Brunner discussed the player’s problems before the decision to leave school was made.

For Brunner, the Big East’s assist leader, Saturday’s game was the second he had missed for what was called personal reasons.

Georgetown ended a losing streak at three games with the victory over Notre Dame as Boubacar Aw scored 19 points and Shernard Long had 16. Joseph Touomou, Brunner’s replacement, scored only six points but had game-highs of five steals and six assists.

Georgetown is 12-9 overall and 5-8 in the Big East, while Notre Dame is 11-9 and 5-7.

“These are times that are hard,” Thompson said. “But these are times you find out what you’re made of. It’s not a statistical thing; it’s about pride.”

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Detroit (20-3, 10-1) secured its first 20-victory season in 19 years with a home-court 76-58 Midwestern Conference victory over Illinois Chicago (18-4, 8-2).