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(06/25/07 12:14am)
COLUMBUS, Ohio – It was a red, white and blue night all around the NHL draft.\nAlready prominent as the colors of the host Columbus Blue Jackets, the shades took on a more important role as American players were taken with the top two picks for the first time in draft history.\nThe Chicago Blackhawks, trying to rebuild a once-proud franchise after four consecutive losing seasons, selected Buffalo, N.Y., native Patrick Kane with the No. 1 selection Friday night. Then the Philadelphia Flyers chose left wing James vanRiemsdyk, a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program from Middletown, N.J.\n“It’s amazing. It’s something I’ll never forget,” vanRiemsdyk said. “It just shows how American hockey has taken huge strides. Two Americans going with the first two picks – it’s an honor. I’m happy to be a part of it.”\nWith the third pick, Phoenix took Kyle Turris, the highly touted center who’s already committed to play at the University of Wisconsin. The Los Angeles Kings selected defenseman Thomas Hickey with pick No. 4 – surprising many of the experts – and the Washington Capitals grabbed the top-rated defenseman, Karl Alzner, at No. 5.\nBut the night belonged to USA Hockey.\n“It’s good to have the No. 1 and No. 2 picks,” said Kane, a 5-foot-9, 160-pound right wing who had 62 goals and 83 assists in 58 games last season for the London Knights of the Ontario Hockey League. “It’s unbelievable. It’s good to see the Americans start coming into the league.”\nIn 1983 and 2005, U.S. players were picked with two of the top three selections. There were 10 Americans chosen in the first round of this draft, tying the record set in 2006. The selection process resumes Saturday for the final six rounds.\nRated the No. 2 skater in North America by the NHL Central Scouting Service, Kane is expected to give the Blackhawks a creative scorer and deft puck-handler.\nThe 6-3, 200-pound vanRiemsdyk had 33 goals and 30 assists in 42 games for the U.S. Under-18 team a year ago.\nAfter Edmonton selected center Sam Gagner, a teammate of Kane’s in London, the biggest roar of the night came when the host Blue Jackets grabbed right wing Jakub Voracek. He comes from the same hometown (Kladno, Czech Republic) as New York Rangers star Jaromir Jagr, who has 621 goals and 907 assists in his 16-year career in the NHL.\nThe loudest boos of the night came when the Detroit Red Wings took Brendan Smith with the 27th pick. Folks from Columbus, home of Ohio State University, can’t pass up an opportunity to boo any team from Michigan.\nThe biggest surprise was how far forwards Alexei Cherepanov and Angelo Esposito dropped.\nEsposito, ranked No. 1 in central scouting’s midseason report, hoped to go to the hometown Montreal Canadiens with the 12th pick but instead had to wait eight more selections until Pittsburgh added him to its stable of young, talented forwards at No. 20.\nCherepanov’s unexpected wait ended earlier, but it was every bit as long for the Russian right winger. The Rangers took him with the 17th pick, after he slid through the round for a variety of reasons. Cherepanov, who said he will play another season with his hometown Omsk team, broke Pavel Bure’s rookie record by scoring 18 goals in Russia’s elite league.
(09/19/06 2:42am)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State football star Maurice Clarett was sentenced to prison for at least 3 1/2 years Monday after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon.\nJudge David Fais announced the agreement on the day jury selection was to begin in a case in which Clarett was accused of holding up two people outside a bar.\nSentenced to 7 1/2 years with release possible after 3 1/2 years, Clarett also agreed to serve five years of probation after the prison sentence.\nThe 22-year-old said he understood he was pleading guilty and reversing his earlier plea.\n"I'd like to apologize for my behavior, and I accept the time that was given to me," he said.\nAfter the deal was announced, Clarett looked at his mother, who was sobbing and holding his 8-week-old daughter while sitting next to his girlfriend.\nFranklin County Prosecutor Ron O'Brien said he was pleased with the agreement.\n"Our view all along was that the conduct demanded a prison sentence, and that's been accomplished," O'Brien said. "It's in a range that will allow him to get his life back together after his release."\nThe concealed-weapon charge was from Clarett's Aug. 9 arrest after a highway chase with police who found four loaded guns in Clarett's sport utility vehicle. His attorneys said Monday those guns, which belonged to Clarett, came from his mother's house. They said he had the guns because he was trying to give them to acquaintences to hold for him, but the \nattorneys did not elaborate.\nClarett, who led Ohio State to the national championship in 2002, had been charged in that police altercation with two counts of failure to comply with an order from a police officer and improper handling of a firearm, in addition to the concealed-weapon charge.\nDefense attorneys said they hope Clarett can be placed in a state prison with workout facilities so he can stay in shape for a possible return to football.\n"It's been a sobering experience for Maurice to say the least. He's come to terms with certain things," attorney Nick Mango said.\nAssistant Prosecutor Tim Mitchell said the plea deal is consistent with how his office handles similar cases and that Clarett did not get special treatment.\nHad Clarett been convicted on all charges in both cases at trial, he would have faced three to 34 years in prison, O'Brien said.\nMitchell said he expects Clarett will serve a little more than four years, with his last six months spent outside prison at a community-based corrections facility.\nThe plea deal was finalized Monday morning after prosecutors met with the robbery victims. Authorities said Clarett flashed a gun and robbed two people of a cell phone early Jan. 1. One victim said all he wanted was an apology, but prosecutors were adamant about prison time, Mitchell said.\nA victims' assistant from the prosecutor's office read a statement from the robbery victims, who said the ordeal has been hard on all aspects of their lives.\n"Mr. Clarett, we hope you will use this opportunity to help someone along the way," the statement said.\nClarett had been drinking heavily on New Year's before the robbery, attorney Michael Hoague said. But the attorney did not explain why Clarett had a gun in his waistband.\n"Obviously, that was a bad decision," Hoague said.\nThe case generated such intense media coverage Clarett's attorneys asked the court to pay for a public opinion poll to determine if an impartial jury could be seated for the robbery trial. Fais denied the request.\nClarett scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime in Ohio State's championship game, but that was the last time he played for the Buckeyes as a freshman.\nAfter dropping out of Ohio State, he lost a U.S. Supreme Court case challenging the NFL's requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro. The Denver Broncos made Clarett a surprise third-round pick in the NFL's 2005 draft but cut him during the preseason.\n"It's really a shame that someone puts themselves in that position," Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan said. "I'm just hoping when he does get out that he's learned his lesson and comes back with a mind-set that he's going to be productive (in society)"
(11/11/04 5:07am)
Over the last 40 years, only three defensive players have been selected as the Big Ten's most valuable player. Wisconsin defensive end Erasmus James could make it four.\nJames has spent most of the season blowing up plays and dismantling quarterbacks and running backs.\n"He has all the physical tools: size, tremendous speed, athleticism. He's flexible and tremendously gifted," said Badgers coach Barry Alvarez, who calls the senior the best defensive player he's ever coached. "He carries all of that onto the field. I've had other players that are gifted that weren't nearly as productive as him."\nThe 6-foot-4, 263-pound James had 10 sacks and 15 tackles for negative yardage the last two years; he's got seven and 10.5, respectively, through just over six full games this year heading into the No. 4 Badgers game at Michigan State Saturday.\nHe missed much of the last three games with a sprained ankle. He played only five plays in last week's 38-14 win over Minnesota and was in the backfield on each snap.\nThe other defensive players to receive the MVP award, presented by the Chicago Tribune newspaper, have been tackles Larry Bethea of Michigan State in 1977 and Don Thorp of Illinois in 1983, and Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997.\nThere are still strong contenders on offense, although three Michigan players might split the vote and toss the election to James.\nMichigan tailback Michael Hart is averaging 30 more rushing yards in Big Ten games than anybody else in the league. The guy who hands him the ball, fellow freshman Chad Henne, leads the way in pass efficiency.\nMany, including Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr, think athletic wide receiver Braylon Edwards is the biggest reason Henne and Hart have developed so quickly.
(10/14/04 5:42am)
Professors were as much the cause of Kyle Orton's first off game as pass rushers and defensive backs.\nThe Purdue quarterback went through the first four games without throwing an interception. Then came a difficult week of tests and papers in class -- and a tough Penn State defense -- and the result was a rather ordinary day for Orton in Purdue's 20-13 win Saturday.\n"The thing about college is, when you have a test, you have four tests," Orton said. "It was a tough week last week, mainly because of academics. ... It's funny, all the professors seem to save the tests for the same week."\nOrton had to write an English paper and take tests in history and also Race and Gender, all while preparing for a road game at raucous Beaver Stadium.\n"It was very demanding," coach Joe Tiller said. "He had a very challenging week, but didn't let on. He really subscribes to the theory, 'never show weakness.'"\nOrton wasn't as sharp against Penn State, throwing two fourth-quarter interceptions and missing a wide open Taylor Stubblefield on one play that would have gone for a game-breaking touchdown.\nStill, he managed to throw for 275 yards and a touchdown, and the Boilermakers stayed perfect on the year to climb to No. 5 in the nation.\n"I thought I played a solid game," Orton said. "They were dropping nine guys into coverage and there wasn't much room to squeeze the ball in there."
(09/23/04 4:49am)
Experienced quarterbacks are proving their worth in the Big Ten. Just look at the stats.\nThe top four passing offenses (Purdue, Northwestern, Penn State and Illinois) are all led by veteran quarterbacks. Five of the top seven quarterbacks in pass efficiency are holdovers.\n"If you're going to have only one experienced player back on your squad, you'd want him back at quarterback," said Purdue coach Joe Tiller, who has the luxury of having the best returning quarterback in the conference, Kyle Orton.\nOrton leads the nation in passer efficiency, completing 70 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns and no interceptions.\n"I couldn't imagine a quarterback around the country playing better than Kyle Orton has," said Illinois coach Ron Turner, who must find a way to bottle up Orton as the Big Ten opens conference play this week.\nSix of the Big Ten's top teams had to find replacements for senior quarterbacks. So far, the growing pains are evident.\nHere is a glimpse of how things are going for the six new guys:\n-- Drew Tate, Iowa (2-1). Good: A sophomore completing 59 percent of his passes. Bad: He had 44 yards passing in 44-7 thrashing at Arizona State last week.\n"We're having a lot of problems offensively right now," coach Kirk Ferentz said. "(Drew) is probably about where we hoped or would wish he would be at this point. What we need to do is give him more support, give him a chance to operate better."\n-- Chad Henne, Michigan (2-1). Good: This true freshman has learned in two close games. Bad: He has as many interceptions (five) as touchdown passes.\n"He's made some big plays, he's made some mistakes and that's exactly what a young quarterback is going to do," coach Lloyd Carr said. "But he's done a good job considering his inexperience and that he's in an offense that requires the quarterback to do some things that are quite complicated."\n-- Drew Stanton and Stephen Reaves, Michigan State (1-2). Good: Stanton is athletic and Reaves has big-time potential. Bad: They have a combined 15 of 34 with three INTs in 31-24 loss to Notre Dame on Saturday.\n"We're slower as a unit because that progress is sort of tied into your quarterback progress," coach John L. Smith said.\n-- Bryan Cupito, Minnesota (3-0). Good: He has been eased in to complement stellar running backs. Bad: He is untested heading into conference play because Gophers are rushing for 359 yards a game.\n"If he gets us in the right running play, takes the snap, turns around and hands off to (Marion) Barber or (Laurence) Maroney, that's not real difficult. I could have a manager do that," coach Glen Mason said. "If you have a young guy and he had to throw the ball every down, obviously the degree of difficulty goes up."\n--Justin Zwick, Ohio State (3-0). Good: Zwick can go deep with the best of them. Bad: He has been careless with the ball (4 INTs)\n"I feel good about the amount of progress he's made and I think we're as prepared as we can be to head into the Big Ten," said coach Jim Tressel, whose team has a bye week.\n-- John Stocco, Wisconsin (3-0). Good: Stocco makes good decisions. Bad: He needs injured runningback Anthony Davis back to keep pass-rushers honest.\n"He's not throwing it up for grabs, and he's getting rid of the ball and not taking sacks," coach Barry Alvarez said. "He should improve more and more as the season goes along."
(06/10/04 1:42am)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State hired Jim O'Brien to clean up a disreputable program.\nOn Tuesday, the university fired O'Brien because he admitted he gave a recruit $6,000 five years ago -- not long after he ran off several problem players left over from the previous coach.\n"I am troubled that a rule was admittedly violated and it took us five years to find out about it," said athletic director Andy Geiger, who frequently championed the honesty of his basketball coach as the Buckeyes struggled through a 14-16 season last year.\nGeiger said he was stunned when he found out about what he called serious violations in the basketball program.\nNCAA spokeswoman Kay Hawes said the governing body is investigating O'Brien and the Ohio State basketball program. O'Brien's contract, which paid him more than $850,000 per year, specifies the university can fire him for any NCAA violations.\nHis firing was took effect immediately. Geiger said assistant Rick Boyages would take over on an interim basis during the search for a new coach. O'Brien was 133-88 in seven years at Ohio State.\nIn a statement released through his lawyer, O'Brien did not dispute he helped potential recruit Aleksandar Radojevic.\n"I am advised that my firing is because I was asked to and tried to give assistance to a young man's family who was in dire financial straits," said O'Brien, who did not return phone messages left at his home and office. "The assistance in no way influenced the young man in his decision to attend OSU and, indeed, the young man did not enroll at OSU."\nGeiger would not say whether the money was O'Brien's or came from another source.\n"My understanding is it was not the school's (money)," Geiger said.\nGeiger said O'Brien indicated he gave the money to Radojevic because the player's father had died, his mother was unable to work and he had three siblings.\nRadojevic, a 7-foot-3 center, played in his native Yugoslavia and was recruited and signed by O'Brien. Before he attended a class or wore an Ohio State uniform, however, the NCAA ruled he was ineligible for accepting $13,000 from a professional team in his homeland.\nOhio State learned of O'Brien's payment to Radojevic through a lawsuit by a woman who said she provided housing, meals and clothes for another Ohio State recruit from the same war-torn area, Slobodan Savovic. He played four years with the Buckeyes, including the 1998-99 team that O'Brien led to the Final Four.\nThe woman is suing two other people who helped sponsor Savovic, since he was not a U.S. citizen and needed to have someone vouch for him while he was in this country. The woman contends the sponsors did not live up to their agreement to pay her $1,000 a month plus expenses to for Savovic's housing, food and transportation.\nThe lawsuit says then-Ohio State assistant coach Paul Biancardi -- now the coach at Wright State -- also was active in handling money for Savovic, Radojevic, Savovic's brother Predrag and another Ohio State player originally from Yugoslavia, Cobe Ocokoljic.\nThe woman says that Biancardi, on behalf of O'Brien, arranged for payments to the players, provided her with season tickets and asked her to introduce players to agents. She also contends she did much of Savovic's Ohio State homework his first three years.\nBiancardi was out of town and could not be reached for comment. Wright State athletic director Mike Cusack said he had not seen any documents, but also was trying to reach Biancardi.\nGeiger said he had asked O'Brien about the lawsuit and was told by the coach it was a minor problem and would go away. On April 24, Geiger said O'Brien told him that depositions in the lawsuit would reveal the payment made to Radojevic.\nGeiger said he had asked O'Brien whether the coach was aware he had violated NCAA rules.\n"He admitted he knew that he did," Geiger said.\nO'Brien, 368-305 in 22 years as a head coach, came to Ohio State in 1997 from his alma mater, Boston College. He took over the Buckeyes from Randy Ayers, who was fired after four consecutive losing seasons and an NCAA probation that stemmed from paying $60 to a potential recruit.\nAfter going 8-22 in his first season with Ayers' players, O'Brien led the Buckeyes to a 27-9 record as they made it to the national semifinals before losing 64-58 to eventual champion Connecticut.\nLast season, Ohio State missed the postseason for the first time in six years as O'Brien struggled to regain his voice after his vocal cords were damaged during back surgery.
(04/22/04 6:21am)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Maurice Clarett's status for the NFL draft is now in the hands of the U.S. Supreme Court.\nClarett's attorney, Alan Milstein, filed an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court on Tuesday. He asked for a stay of a federal appeals court's decision from 24 hours earlier preventing the former Ohio State tailback from being in this weekend's draft.\nJustice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will handle the case. She asked the NFL Wednesday to file a response to Clarett's appeal by Thursday morning. There was no word about when she planned to act on Clarett's emergency request or whether she would refer the request to the other eight justices.\nIn 1971, lawyers for Detroit high school star Spencer Haywood followed the same approach. A stay preventing Haywood from going in the NBA draft was tossed out by Justice William O. Douglas, opening the door for underclassmen and teenagers to play pro basketball.\n"It's the exact same scenario," Milstein said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It just needs to play out the same."\nThe 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued the stay on Monday, putting a hold on a lower-court ruling that said the NFL can't force players to wait three years after high school before turning pro.\nThe NFL said the appellate decision will ultimately stand.\n"There was ample support for the ruling of the 2nd Circuit, which thoroughly considered and completely rejected the arguments that Mr. Clarett's lawyers have presented to the Supreme Court," NFL executive vice president Jeff Pash said.\nSouthern California sophomore receiver Mike Williams filed his own lawsuit in federal court in Manhattan Monday, saying the NFL issued conflicting statements about eligibility for the draft which caused him to sacrifice his college career.\nIf they wind up being eligible, Williams would be expected to go in the first round of the draft, while Clarett might not be taken until the second or third round.\nClarett argued in Tuesday's filing the NFL wouldn't suffer any harm if he's allowed in the draft -- but he would be harmed if he is blocked.\nClarett led Ohio State to a national title as a freshman, but was ruled ineligible as a sophomore for accepting money from a family friend and lying about it to NCAA and university investigators. Williams declared for the draft after a lower court ruled in Clarett's favor.\nClarett, 20 and out of high school two years, would be eligible for the draft next year under the current rule. He dropped out of classes at Ohio State after the winter quarter.\nU.S. District Court Judge Shira Scheindlin ruled in February Clarett should be allowed in the draft. She said the rule excluding him violates antitrust law and unjustly blocks a player from pursuing his livelihood.\nGinsburg is a Clinton administration appointee who oversees matters from the New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit.\nThere is no court deadline for Ginsburg to act on the request, but Clarett's lawyer said if no decision is rendered before the draft Clarett "will suffer substantial irreparable injury."\nIf Ginsburg or the full court turns down the request, the lower court's decision against Clarett stands.\nShould the court decide against Clarett -- and by extension, Williams -- the players could only return to play college football if they met academic standards and their universities successfully petitioned the NCAA for reinstatement.\nSteve Snapp, an assistant athletic director at Ohio State, said there were significant obstacles in the way of Clarett regaining his eligibility even if he wanted to rejoin the Buckeyes.\n"There is a number of issues about whether or not he has professionalized himself," Snapp said.\nThe NFL also could be compelled legally to include Clarett and Williams in a supplemental draft. Former stars such as Reggie White, Cris Carter and Bernie Kosar entered the NFL after being taken in supplemental drafts.
(09/11/03 5:57am)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Maurice Clarett was suspended for the season Wednesday for violating NCAA rules, tarnishing Ohio State's national title and clouding the future of one of the nation's most talented running backs.\nClarett was punished because the school determined he accepted thousands of dollars in improper benefits and then lied to NCAA and school investigators.\n"This is a sad day," Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger said as he announced the penalty.\nEven though the infractions date back to 2002, the school is not in jeopardy of having its national title stripped.\nClarett will remain on scholarship this school year. His attorney, Scott Schiff, wouldn't speculate if Clarett's Ohio State career was over.\n"He's considering his options right now," Schiff said.\nClarett had been suspended from the team while the NCAA and Ohio State investigated his finances. Ohio State has been working for more than two weeks on a response to "several pages" of allegations sent by the NCAA to the university.\nGeiger said Clarett was guilty of 14 violations of the ethical-conduct bylaw and two violations of receiving preferential treatment or benefits because he is an athlete.\nGeiger said before each season Ohio State players are presented a copy of NCAA Bylaw 10 which deals with ethical conduct and not lying to investigators.\n"You play by the rules, you live by the rules," Geiger said.\nGeiger said Clarett would be required to make a donation to a charity of his choice equal to the amount he received in benefits, which Geiger termed as "thousands of dollars," if he wants to be reinstated.\nOhio State can appeal for Clarett's reinstatement after the year suspension is complete.\n"We hope the NCAA considers a suspension for this season to be sufficient," Geiger said. "More importantly, we hope that Maurice will remain in school to pursue his degree, and that conditions will warrant our application for reinstatement to play Buckeye football next season."\nIf Clarett transfers, the NCAA requires the new school to declare him ineligible, then seek his reinstatement through the NCAA. He would have to sit out a year in addition to any suspension or ineligibility handed down by the NCAA in order to play at another Division I-A school. Clarett could play immediately in a smaller division after he is reinstated.\nSchiff said he was troubled that Clarett is not permitted to appeal the NCAA penalties. The association's rules only permit a school to appeal.\n"The most important thing I think is that the inherent problem with the NCAA procedures is the lack of due process and the lack of any procedure for the student-athlete himself to appeal the NCAA findings," Schiff said.\nClarett, a sophomore, could also try to go to the NFL and challenge the rule that requires players to wait three years after high school to enter the draft or leave for the Canadian Football League.\nGeiger said Clarett accepted some benefits during his freshman year -- before Ohio State won the national title in the Fiesta Bowl Jan. 3. Geiger said the NCAA had not determined that the school could be blamed for the violations, or that the bowl victory was in jeopardy.\nBecause the NCAA is not in charge of the bowl system, it does not have the power to strip a school of a national title.\n"If the university was unaware or uninvolved, then the university is not culpable," Geiger said.\nClarett's final carry for the Buckeyes last season ranks among the most memorable in school history. He scored on a 5-yard run in the second overtime to give Ohio State a 31-24 victory over Miami in the Fiesta Bowl and its first national championship in 34 years.\nClarett set Ohio State freshman records last season with 1,237 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns.\nClarett, his mother and Schiff met with Geiger earlier Wednesday before the suspension was announced. After the meeting, Michelle Clarett was asked if her son was considering transferring.\n"Nothing has been decided if we go, if we stay, if we dance or not," Michelle Clarett said.\nClarett's mother did not return a phone message seeking comment on the suspension.\n"It's very difficult on them," said former NFL star Jim Brown, who spoke to the Claretts after the meeting. "They're torn between so many emotions. Really, just trying to follow the process, do the right thing and weigh their options."\nOhio State coach Jim Tressel said he would not stand in the way and would recommend that the university grant Clarett a release from his scholarship if Clarett asked for one.\nClarett was charged Tuesday with misdemeanor falsification for lying about items stolen from his car. If convicted, Clarett would face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine, but probably would get probation.\nUnrelated to the suspension, Clarett also is being investigated by an Ohio State panel looking into allegations of academic improprieties involving athletes.
(09/03/03 6:24am)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger said Tuesday night that he doubted sophomore tailback Maurice Clarett would return to the defending national champions this season.\n"I'm not optimistic about any number of games at this point," Geiger said.\nEarlier Tuesday, coach Jim Tressel said Clarett would no longer practice with the team until questions about his eligibility are answered -- an abrupt reversal from 10 days earlier when he was allowed to work out with the second-ranked Buckeyes.\nFor the first time, Tressel said Clarett would miss much of the season.\n"It appears ... the suspension is going to be significant. It's going to be long," Tressel said.\nOn Aug. 22, Tressel and Geiger announced Clarett's suspension from the team. However, they said Clarett would be permitted to practice with the Buckeyes while the NCAA and an Ohio State panel looked into off-the-field problems and charges of academic fraud.\nClarett watched Saturday night's 28-9 victory over Washington from the bench.\nGeiger said Clarett was suspended for multiple games because he misled investigators, a violation of NCAA Bylaw 10 that deals with ethical behavior by student-athletes.\n"We put great stock, as does the NCAA, in forthrightness and straightforward answers to questions that are bathed in truth. We have yet to get there, which is distressing," Geiger said Tuesday.\nGeiger also said Clarett violated NCAA's Bylaw 12, which deals with amateurism, "improper benefits and all those kind of things."\nThe NCAA and Ohio State began an investigation in July into Clarett's claim that more than $10,000 in clothing, CDs, cash and stereo equipment was stolen in April from a 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that Clarett had borrowed from a local dealership. Clarett later said he exaggerated the value of the items stolen.\nGeiger said if Clarett had told the truth from the beginning, "This might have been over in July."\nClarett's attorney, Scott Schiff, did not immediately return telephone messages seeking comment.\nOhio State officials are currently in the process of responding to several pages of NCAA allegations dealing with Clarett. Geiger said the response could come as early as Wednesday, although he was troubled because the investigation kept uncovering new problems.\nClarett set Ohio State freshman records by rushing for 1,237 yards and scoring 18 touchdowns last season as the Buckeyes went 14-0.\nTight end Ben Hartsock said Tressel and Ohio State officials had been very patient with Clarett during the investigation, but the time had come for the team to move forward.\n"There's a point when being patient with an individual starts to be detrimental to the team," Hartsock said.\nTressel said he arrived at the decision to hold Clarett out of practice after meeting with his staff.\n"The decision I talked about with some of our staff here just this morning was that until we get a definitive decision there I don't think I'm going to have him practice," Tressel said Tuesday.\nAsked how Clarett reacted, Tressel said, "I'm sure he was disappointed because people want to be a part of the group. But that's what we're going to do right now"