University of Cincinnati

The Cincinnati Bearcats can't stop playing the bridesmaid. Like Indiana, Cincinnati is one of those teams that plays tough all season, then ends up watching the Final Four on the tube. This season, Cinci spent six weeks atop the AP poll and won 16 games in a row, and the pundits were calling it the year of the Bearcat. That is, until star center Kenyon Martin hit the floor in the first round of the C-USA tournament and came up with a broken leg. Without Martin to lead them in the Big Dance, the 'Cats were eliminated a few rounds shy of the Final Four with a loss to Tulsa. But they charged into the Felonious Four thanks to their off-court indiscretions.

It all began last fall, when sophomore forward Eugene Land got himself suspended by pulling a Warrick. As in Peter Warrick. As in shoplifting from a Dillard's department store. Land would have walked away with $256 worth of underwear and socks if it hadn't been for those pesky security guards. Freshman guard DerMarr Johnson followed that up with a one-game suspension for accepting $7,500 from former AAU coach Curtis Malone to pay for his senior year at the Maine Central Institute. MCI is a pricey New England prep school known for its good players and its policy against giving full scholarships -- just ask Erick Barkley of St. John's.

But top billing for tainting the Bearcat name goes to former guard Shawn Myrick, who's currently serving a six-month jail sentence for sexual assault charges stemming from an incident that occurred while he was still suiting up for Cinci.

None of this has helped Cinci's already tarnished reputation as a program that graduates just about no one and has remained far too lax with lawbreakers. Unfortunately, the new blood seems to be as bad as the old. Top prep prospect Jerome Harper committed to the Bearcats in July, but has already lost his scholarship, thanks to an arrest this March on assault charges. Harper allegedly clocked his aunt's boyfriend, Saboor Rasheed, leaving the man with a black eye in need of nine stitches.

With an ugly off-court record like this, maybe it's best that the Bearcats were stopped short of Indianapolis. Seems Coach Bob Huggins could use a few months off to keep his players in line -- and figure out where to find recruits who can stay out of trouble before they get to campus.

From CNN/SI:

DerMarr Johnson to sit 1 game

Bearcats Broken: No. 1 Cincy loses game, star Martin

Accuser requests charges dropped: Cincinnati dropped recruit Harper after assault arrest

Harper charged with assault: Arrest comes same day as McDonald's All-American nod

From CBS SportsLine:

Bearcats' Johnson suspended for one game

From ESPN.com:

Johnson violated NCAA rules on amateurism

From Total College Sports:

DerMarr Johnson suspended for one game

From the Sporting News:

DerMarr Johnson suspended for one game

From The Cincinnati Enquirer Online:

Former Basketball Player Sentenced for Sexual Battery

Arrest Led to Land's Dismissal

UC Gets Tough on Crime

UC Player Accused of Sexual Battery

Huggins to review Land's status soon

UC pulls offer to arrested recruit: All-American guard charged with assault

Johnson serves suspension: UC player sits out one game for NCAA violation

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