NCAA Puts St. Bonaventure on Probation

St. Bonaventure was put on three years’ probation Thursday and barred from the 2004 NCAA postseason for a player eligibility scandal.

Citing “a lack of institutional control,” the NCAA pinned most of the blame on former school president Robert Wickenheiser for ignoring athletic officials and approving the transfer of junior forward Jamil Terrell.

The Bonnies were stripped of six victories and barred from the postseason by the Atlantic 10 Conference last season after Terrell was ruled ineligible for violating junior college transfer guidelines. Terrell earned a certificate in welding at a community college before going to St. Bonaventure.

“The culpability ran to the ultimate decision-maker, which was the former president,” Thomas Yeager, chairman of the NCAA’s committee on infractions, said.

Wickenheiser resigned and coach Jan van Breda Kolff was dismissed.

The NCAA also cut two scholarships for 2004 and one for 2005. The three-year probation period is retroactive to last July 15. The postseason ban is limited only to the Bonnies competing in the NCAA or NIT tournament.

THURSDAY’S GAMES

No. 18 Georgia Tech (19-6, 6-5) moved into a third-place tie with Wake Forest in the Atlantic Coast Conference with a 75-64 victory over Maryland, ending a nine-game losing streak at College Park, Md. They were 1-4 on the road in the ACC and had lost 12 of 16 against the Terrapins (13-9, 4-7).... Keydren Clark became the nation’s leading scorer with 33 points in helping Saint Peter’s (15-9) to a 103-89 victory over Canisius (9-17) at Buffalo. Clark, a 5-foot-9 sophomore, improved his average to 26.6 points a game. He moved ahead of Western Carolina’s Kevin Martin (26.4).