NCAA slaps Crawford with 8-game suspension

Jamal Crawford's freshman season at Michigan appears to be over after the NCAA suspended him for another eight games, this time for entering the NBA draft as a high-school senior.

Before yesterday's announcement, Crawford was due to return to action last night after missing six games because he accepted gifts, housing and use of a car from Seattle businessman Barry Henthorn.

Instead, Michigan players wore headbands bearing Crawford's initials during their 78-75 loss to Purdue, a tribute to their suspended teammate who won't play again this season unless Michigan qualifies for postseason play. The Wolverines are 1-6 since Crawford was ruled ineligible on Feb. 1.

The Wolverines (13-11) have three regular-season games left, plus the Big Ten tournament. They would need to play four Big Ten tourney games and reach the final and then make the NCAA or NIT fields for Crawford to play again this season.

In addition to yesterday's suspension extension, the NCAA ruled Crawford must repay $11,300 for lodging, food, gifts and transportation he received from Henthorn. The ruling ends a nearly month-long investigation of Crawford's eligibility, and increased the chance Crawford will return to Michigan for his sophomore season.

Crawford's mother, Venora Skinner, said Wednesday night Crawford planned to enter the NBA draft this spring. Crawford said he will be back at Michigan "without doubt" when he spoke to reporters after last night's game.

"That's my mom talking," Crawford said. "That's not coming from me."

The NCAA's ruling yesterday was based on Crawford's entry into the NBA draft last May while he was at Rainier Beach High School, said Julie Peterson, UM spokeswoman.

"That was the sole issue," Peterson said.

And an old issue at that. Crawford entered the NBA draft 9 months ago, mistakenly thinking it would not endanger his college eligibility. After learning high-school seniors were ineligible under NCAA rules after entering the draft, Crawford withdrew his name and never appeared on the NBA's list of players available in the draft.

"He didn't make an application as far as we're concerned," said Rod Thorn, the NBA's executive vice president of basketball operations.

But the NCAA did not necessarily know about Crawford's entry because he pulled out. The NCAA does not request a list of players who applied for early entry into the NBA draft, said Jane Jankowski, NCAA spokeswoman.

Thorn said no one at the NCAA has ever contacted him to find out which players applied for the draft.

Under NCAA rules, a high-school player becomes ineligible by filing for the draft even if he removes the application.

As a high-school senior, Crawford was in violation of the NCAA amateurism rules, an issue addressed by Lee C. Bollinger, Michigan president.

"We are deeply disappointed by the inequity of this decision," Bollinger said. "Any sensible approach would have yielded a different result."

But fairness wasn't at issue, said Len Elmore, a college basketball analyst for ESPN.

"The NCAA wants a virgin situation - for lack of a better term - when a high-school player does become a collegiate player," Elmore said."

Jankowski said she did not know of a precedent for a high-school player entering a basketball draft and then trying to become eligible to play NCAA basketball.

The ruling was less severe than it could have been. The NCAA rules state that a player loses amateur status by entering the draft, which would have meant Crawford was ineligible.

But that rule was enacted when high-school players entering the NBA draft was not an issue, said Jankowski. "You can see that things are evolving," she said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.