Wednesday, December 3, 1997
McCoy returns to action after suspension
M. BASKETBALL:
Restoration of center to practice doesn’t guarantee eligibility
to playBy Mark Shapiro
Daily Bruin Staff
The UCLA basketball family has gone from having an "Empty Nest"
to a "Full House" with Monday’s reinstatement of junior center
Jelani McCoy.
McCoy, who was suspended from the team along with senior Kris
Johnson on October 29th, fulfilled the necessary criteria set for
his return by the athletic department and has brought the UCLA team
fully together for the first time this season.
"We all make mistakes," McCoy said. "It’s about getting over it
and looking at the positive. I’m a stronger person for this."
The reinstatement came only a few days after the Bruins were
thrashed by North Carolina by 41 points, the second worst defeat in
the program’s history. UCLA head coach Steve Lavin stated that this
was not a consideration in the reinstatement of the 6 foot 10 inch
center, and that the meeting that led to this shift was scheduled
before the North Carolina game.
"It’s fine for people to speculate," Lavin said. "We have the
player’s best interests in mind. We can’t be concerned with
people’s perception."
McCoy, like Johnson, has regained his eligibility to practice
with the team, but will not return to game action until an
undetermined date. Neither player has been given a timeline for
their return to the lineup, and neither will compete at the Wooden
Classic this weekend.
"We were careful about not saying when they’d be back in terms
of games, that’s a mixed message," Lavin said. "If we were thinking
about trying to win games, we would have reinstated them earlier.
That’s not what UCLA is about."
While Johnson returned to the team three weeks ago, McCoy took a
bit longer in meeting the undisclosed requirements for
reinstatement. During this delay, speculation raged as to whether
McCoy would return at all and to his demeanor regarding the
situation.
"It’s not like he came out of the dark," Lavin said. "He’s been
making progress over the past three weeks. He moved at a quicker
speed once Kris came back. I was pleased to see that.
"It’s about actions, that’s why Kris came back first. Jelani,
instead of pouting, decided to take care of the criteria set
forth."
During their suspensions, the two players had been part of
periodic meetings with the athletic department, their families and
the coaching staff over the course of their suspension. At these
meetings, the players’ progress towards reinstatement was
assessed.
"When you talk to student athletes and their families, they want
to know what they have to do to get back and we would tell them,"
UCLA Athletic Director Peter Dalis said. "I’ve seen a marked
improvement in the last week and a half for Jelani. He understands
the consequences to his actions."
The return of McCoy will add a dimension of size to the Bruin
lineup, one that is sorely needed in light of the beating UCLA took
at the hands of the huge front line of the Tar Heels. He is the
Bruins’ single season and career leader in blocked shots and
averaged nearly seven rebounds a game last season.