Cincy Prosecutors Looking At Pursuing Charges, Players Apologize ((UPDATED With Miller Quote and Apology))

((HT: WKRC-TV))

Not that this would be a shock or anything...

But Hamilton County ((OH)) Prosecutor Joe Deters says his office will review the Cincy-Xavier fight to figure out whether or not they should press charges. Deters is a former member of the UC Board of Trustees.

"My office will review this matter to determine whether any criminal charges are appropriate. We will have no further comment until a decision is reached."

The Bearcats gave Yancy Gates, Cheikh Mbodj, and Octavius Ellis six-game suspensions. Ge'Lawn Guyn was suspended for one game. Xavier suspended point guard Tu Holloway for one game, guard Mark Lyons for two games, and Dez Wells and Landen Amos for four games each.

Coach Mick Cronin also said his suspended players will have anger management counseling before they can return to the floor, and will have to apologize to the student body and perform community service.

Here's the latest with apologies and appropriate amount of sorrow, regret, and remorse


I guess Holloway was told being a thug or a gangsta was a bad thing, finally...

Xavier's President, Father Michael Graham, issued a statement about the incident:

"Xavier University takes very seriously the Jesuit Catholic tradition on which it is built and continuously encourages all members of the Xavier family to incorporate these high values into their daily lives. The University takes pride in the good works done each and every day by its alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends.

The unsportsmanlike events which occurred at the close of Saturday’s Crosstown Shootout were not representative of Xavier’s values and reflect on all members of the Xavier family.

The University takes full responsibility for the events at the end of Saturday’s game and the role of our student athletes. Officials at all levels have been working since Saturday afternoon to make things right and will continue to restore Xavier’s good name and faith in the integrity of Xavier University and its intercollegiate Athletic program.

University officials, including those from the Administration and Athletics, have reviewed the incident in its entirety and, in conjunction with the Atlantic 10 Conference, have taken the following actions:

Freshman Dezmine Wells, who had a mandatory one game suspension after being ejected from the game for fighting, has been given an additional three games by Xavier and will serve a four-game suspension. Sophomore Landen Amos has also been given a four-game suspension. Junior Mark Lyons will serve a two-game suspension. Senior Tu Holloway will serve a one-game suspension. Read more about the suspensions.

There is no excuse for what occurred and the team feels remorse for how they represented the University. Additionally, apologies have been made by the University, Associate Vice President and Athletic Director Mike Bobinski, Coach Chris Mack and Xavier senior player Tu Holloway. Watch the Sunday news conference.

As a Jesuit Catholic institution we believe in justice and reconciliation and will learn from this sad experience. Fr. Michael Graham, President of Xavier University, has been in touch with his counterpart at the University of Cincinnati, Dr. Greg Williams, to discuss how the two institutions might best cooperate to moderate the tone of the Crosstown Shootout itself and promote a spirit of cooperation between their students, alumni and fans. Players from both sides will work with the Cincinnati community in promoting proper sportsmanship. Students from both institutions are already exploring ways to strengthen the relationship between our two schools.

This has been a tough lesson, but with the support of the Xavier community, its alumni and friends, Xavier’s 180-year tradition of citizenship and values will grow only stronger."

PM UPDATE: Head coach at Arizona, Sean Miller decided to chime in on the whole situation...

Saturday in his own postgame presser, he opened his mouth... as the head coach of Xavier he had a little experience in the matter.

Maybe a little too much...

"Happens every game. I'm proud of those guys, I really am," Miller said of Xavier, his former team. "I would fully expect there to be a fight."

And, then, surprisingly he had to recant- and do so quickly...

“I made comments following our win Saturday over Clemson regarding my former team, Xavier University. These remarks were in response to a question as to whether I have been following Xavier’s on-the-court successes this season. My comments were directed toward my admiration of their on-the-court toughness and their respective approach to giving great effort as a team.”

“In no way was I condoning a fight. At the time of my press conference, I was only responding to my belief in several players that I once coached and a head coach, Chris Mack, that I have great respect for.”

Uh huh... nicely spun...
You're SO in trouble...

Class act: Xavier and Cincinnati brawl at end of game

In Cincinnati they call it the "Crosstown Shootout" and it is considered the highlight of the College Basketball year for Xavier and Cincinnati, both solid NCAA Tournament contenders almost every year.

And it is usually a close game, both teams are competitive. Xavier has had more success over the years and this year, they handed it to Cincinnati 76-53 in a game that won't be remembered for the play, it will be remembered for the horrible, low-class, low-rent, idiotic brawl that caused the game to end 9 seconds early.

The brawl left Xavier center Kenny Frease with a bloody, beaten eye after a serious sucker punch from Cincinnati's Yancey Gates. Gates also threw a ball off of Xavier guard Mark Lyons face. Lyons and Xavier guard Tu Holloway were also in the middle of it, and arguable were at the beginning of the brawl.

Your video from YouTube/Soundsystem75:



Read Cincinnati.com's version of what happened RIGHT HERE

Ok. First and foremost, there are going to be a few suspensions stemming from this. Multiple players were involved and far too many punches were thrown.

Perhaps the most galling part of this are the comments afterwards. Xavier's Mark Lyons saying "It was the younger guys yapping". Hollaway saying "They disrespected us". Hollaway also added what could possibly be classified as the most idiotic quote of all-time when he said in the post game presser, "We got a whole lot of gangsters in our locker room. Not thugs, but tough guys on the court. And we went out there and zipped them up at the end of the game. That's our motto, zip 'em up. And that's what we just did to them"

Yeah, great. Way to draw sympathy there Tu...

Having lived most of the past two years in Cincinnati, we fully realize this is what passes for major college sports in the city. And we realize fans for both teams are probably laughing in some way about it.

There is NOTHING that can excuse this. You can talk all the crap you want. You can hate the other team all you want. You CAN'T have fights like this.

There are rivalries all over the country that are far more entertaining, serious, cutthroat and mean more than this one does. But you don't see the players fighting like that. EVER!

We can only hope the Atlantic 10, The Big East and the NCAA will take the appropriate actions and suspend all the players involved for multiple games. That in the end will hurt both teams when it comes time for conference and NCAA tournament time and it should. Then maybe the players and the idiot fans will understand there is ZERO excuse for that kind of behavior.

You really should check out the post game press conference from Cincinnati coach Mick Cronin. It's eye-opening, though you'll have to wait a couple of minutes. And no it isn't embeddable, you can click on the link RIGHT HERE

We give Cronin major props for his honesty.