Bad news for Cincinnati is probably good news for St. John’s.
The NCAA yesterday instructed the Bearcats to declare freshman forward DerMarr Johnson ineligible for one game for violating bylaw 13.16 regarding pre-college expenses. Sources told The Post that two parties, one being an AAU coach, helped pay the $7,000 balance of Johnson’s prep school tuition at Maine Central Institute.
St. John’s currently is self-investigating if Erick Barkley committed the same violation. Sources have told The Post that Barkley received between $2,500 and $4,000 from Riverside Church to pay his $20,000 tuition at MCI.
Because Barkley needed less money, it’s probable that he will receive less of a penalty. Barkley, as is the case with Johnson, will have to make restitution to a charity to retain his eligibility.
“I think it’s fair to say that I’m cautiously optimistic,” Rick Evrard, an attorney for the firm of Bond, Schoeneck & King which has been retained by St. John’s, told The Post. “But first we have to establish the facts. The facts [in both cases] could be the same up until the last point, and then you have a different set of circumstances. If the facts are the same, then clearly there’s a recent precedent.”
Johnson sat out last night’s game against Southern Miss. Johnson also must make restitution arrangements for the $7,000.
Riverside Church is the AAU team for which Barkley played. He also went to MCI where a tuition committee at Riverside Church approved the $2,500 to $4,000 Barkley needed to satisfy the $20,000 tuition.