NCAA Suspends USC’s Charissis

The NCAA on Friday suspended USC junior center Kostas Charissis for 15 games to begin the 2001-02 season for violating the amateurism rule, which prohibits student-athletes from playing on the same team as professional players.

The NCAA has made a concerted effort this summer to check playing backgrounds of foreign-born players.

Neither Charissis nor USC Coach Henry Bibby was available for comment.

The 6-foot-11, 250-pound Charissis said he was not paid for the time he played with a club team in his native Greece before enrolling in school in 1999.

He played sparingly in his first two seasons at USC. As a sophomore, he averaged 1.2 points, 1.2 rebounds and 4.7 minutes in 18 games.

But he was expected to compete for a starting spot this season.

Charissis’ absence may create playing time for 6-11, 220-pound freshman center Rory O’Neil of Ridgecrest Burroughs High.