Mum’s the Word at UCLA

The coach shrugged and pointed to the athletic director, who referred everything to the lawyer, who said it was all up to the player involved, true or false, suspended or not.

And, in the last chapter of this legalistic day, Jelani McCoy, the center of attention, said he did not even want to address the issue any longer.

Amid speculation that the junior center was about to be suspended for a second time this season, UCLA’s lead lawyer on Tuesday acknowledged growing pressure to comment on the matter.

But Joseph Mandel, vice chancellor for legal affairs, said the only way the school could either confirm or deny the reports was for McCoy to waive his rights of privacy as a student and U.S. citizen, which, Mandel said, McCoy has not done.

After participating in practice Tuesday night, McCoy was asked directly if he planned to allow the school to speak openly about the situation.

“I’m not really answering any more questions about those rumors,” McCoy said.

Even if waiving his privacy rights was the only way he could clear his name?

“I wish it could clear my name,” said McCoy, who added that he expected to be with the team for the rest of the season and denied the rumors when they first emerged.

“I’m on the team right now. I’m practicing. I don’t know how many times you’ve got to see me practice, play or suit up. If it takes you guys to come in and ask me the same questions, I’ll do that . . .

“As long as people who need to know the truth know the truth. Everybody else is speculating.”

Earlier Tuesday, Athletic Director Peter Dalis and Coach Steve Lavin declined comment on the matter, saying that it was a situation of “legal issues” and referred questions to Mandel.

“He is really not a player in this at all,” Dalis said of Lavin. “It’s not in his hands.”

Who will make the decision? “I’m not at liberty to say,” Dalis said. “What do you want us to say? We’re being told by the people who are guiding us that we can’t say anything, so I can’t say anything.”

The seriousness of the rumors precludes school officials from publicly discussing them, Mandel said--even if they are false.

“I read the newspapers and I see the innuendoes, suggestions, rumors and all that kind of stuff,” Mandel said. “If there’s anything that’s more private and more potentially damaging to somebody’s reputation than allegations of drug use, I’d be hard-pressed to find out what it is.

“So, that’s a no-brainer as far as the university is concerned. We cannot say anything about that, whether something’s going on or something’s not going on.”

McCoy was indefinitely suspended on Sept. 29, and was fully reinstated in mid-December. Neither school officials or McCoy have confirmed or denied reports that he was suspended for testing positive for marijuana multiple times.

“I want to impress upon you that this is not just lawyer talk and lawyer-contrived concerns,” Mandel said. “These are deeply held concerns with constitutional implications.”