UCLA PF Nikola Dragovic still suspended indefinitely

[Russ Smith]

Story came out Friday evening before the Bakersfield game. Dragovic was in an altercation at a concert in late October. Later he filed a complaint with the UCLA campus police over the incident. Friday he was notified the LA DA's office was filing felony assault charges against him. He didn't play Friday night and won't play tonight against Pepperdine and he is apparently suspended indefinitely until UCLA knows his status with the legal problems.

Howland said they were aware of the incident, Dragovic told them right after it happened, and they advised him to file a report with the campus police, but nobody has explained why Drago himself has been charged. It sounds like maybe he was advised to file charges first under the assumption the other party involved might also file charges, but nobody seems to know.

Quite honestly unless the charges are completely dropped, I won't be surprised if he is done playing at UCLA. Last year he was suspended at the beginning of the season for an incident with an ex girlfriend. He went over to get his belongings, she had thrown them all on the lawn outside the apartment, they argued, he apparently pushed her down. She filed assault charges which were ultimately dropped due to lack of evidence, but the DA said they would reserve the right to file charges for one year.

So it's quite possible these new charges will bring back the old case too so he could be in a bunch of trouble if he did anything wrong.

Hate to see it because he's one of 3 seniors, but in some sense it will force Howland to play the young guys like Nelson and Lane more as was the case against Bakersfield when both looked pretty good.

 

[DWKB]

bump...

Nikola Dragovic, accused of felony assault, is reinstated by the Bruins
The UCLA forward is expected to come off the bench Thursday against Portland.

It's not the first time UCLA has reinstated Dragovic while he faces prosecution.

Yup, quality program you're running there Ben. How'd that Portland game turn out anyways?

 

[Russ Smith]

Yup, quality program you're running there Ben. How'd that Portland game turn out anyways?

Like I said before, lots of UCLA fans were mad that Howland reinstated Drago.

But if we want to play this game, how many games did Self suspend Sherron Collins over his little elevator incident again? I mean it's a near identical situation the player maintained his innocence the whole time. the woman filed a civil suit and a judge actually ruled in her favor when Collins failed to respond to the claim. He then hired a lawyer, actually 2, both of whom were Kansas grads and they threatened to sue the woman for defamation and she decided to drop the suit. The DA on the case, Charles Branson, elected not to file charges citing insufficient evidence. He admitted that the more sensitive lab test typically done in such cases was not initially done by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (it was done 3 months later) but said it didn't materially effect the case. Do I even need to tell you where Branson went to college? AS I said in another thread I think it's a great story that a kid like Collins who appeared to be headed down the wrong path turned his life around and will graduate this year from Kansas.

I would suggest it's hypocritical to complain about Dragovic's situation at UCLA given that Collins was never suspended at all by Kansas, even after the judge initially ruled against Collins, who then claimed he hadn't been notified by his lawyer that he needed to appear in court. The accusers attorney pointed out that was probably because Collins didn't have an attorney at that time, he didn't hire one until AFTER the judge ruled against him for failing to appear and said he owed more than $75,000 to the woman who filed the civil charges.

I think Drago should have been suspended longer, I personally wouldn't have reinstated him, you'll find that's a VERY common belief amongst UCLA fans.

We don't want a program where kids are fighting with football players or shooting air rifles at innocent bystanders because if you can play, it's tolerated. One of the main reasons UCLA fans are mad with Howland this year, beyond the team record, is that he mishandled the Dragovic situation.

 

[DWKB]

Like I said before, lots of UCLA fans were mad that Howland reinstated Drago.

But if we want to play this game, how many games did Self suspend Sherron Collins over his little elevator incident again? I mean it's a near identical situation the player maintained his innocence the whole time. the woman filed a civil suit and a judge actually ruled in her favor when Collins failed to respond to the claim. He then hired a lawyer, actually 2, both of whom were Kansas grads and they threatened to sue the woman for defamation and she decided to drop the suit. The DA on the case, Charles Branson, elected not to file charges citing insufficient evidence. He admitted that the more sensitive lab test typically done in such cases was not initially done by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (it was done 3 months later) but said it didn't materially effect the case. Do I even need to tell you where Branson went to college? AS I said in another thread I think it's a great story that a kid like Collins who appeared to be headed down the wrong path turned his life around and will graduate this year from Kansas.

I would suggest it's hypocritical to complain about Dragovic's situation at UCLA given that Collins was never suspended at all by Kansas, even after the judge initially ruled against Collins, who then claimed he hadn't been notified by his lawyer that he needed to appear in court. The accusers attorney pointed out that was probably because Collins didn't have an attorney at that time, he didn't hire one until AFTER the judge ruled against him for failing to appear and said he owed more than $75,000 to the woman who filed the civil charges.

I think Drago should have been suspended longer, I personally wouldn't have reinstated him, you'll find that's a VERY common belief amongst UCLA fans.

We don't want a program where kids are fighting with football players or shooting air rifles at innocent bystanders because if you can play, it's tolerated. One of the main reasons UCLA fans are mad with Howland this year, beyond the team record, is that he mishandled the Dragovic situation.

The charge was issued in June and dismissed by July. You want him suspended for what? Summer stamina drills? Grasping at straws. Surprised that the DA in Lawrence, KS was a KU alum? How many people do you think move to Lawrence, KS? Conspiracy on a whole other level now, the whole municipality is in on it. Lawrence, KS, run by the JayHawk mafia.

Speaking of football, should we even bring up Rick Neuheisel?

 

[Russ Smith]

The charge was issued in June and dismissed by July. You want him suspended for what? Summer stamina drills? Grasping at straws. Surprised that the DA in Lawrence, KS was a KU alum? How many people do you think move to Lawrence, KS? Conspiracy on a whole other level now, the whole municipality is in on it. Lawrence, KS, run by the JayHawk mafia.

Speaking of football, should we even bring up Rick Neuheisel?

Not sure when Neuheisel got involved with UCLA basketball but I seem to recall a football scandal at KU too? Something about coaches provide test answers to football players so they could pass tests?

the complaint was filed against Collins may 07, it wasn't dropped until July 08. I'm guessing Collins played a few games during those 14 months?

Drago has had 2 incidents at UCLA, a former girlfriend accused him of pushing her during an argument after they broke up(she threw all his clothes off the balcony). UCLA suspended Dragovic. then the one this year, and again they suspended him. I would not have reinstated him but they did actually suspend him.

and yes I realize the odds are good of the judge or DA being a KU grad, just as the odds are good that the guy paying for the Rush brothers private school education was a KU alum or the guy paying 5000(not cash but value) for Darnell jackson would be a KU booster too. In Jackson's case you forgot to mention the free travel and personal loan jackson got from Davis. Must have slipped your mind. ANd that guy didn't even live in Kansas, he lived in Oklahoma.

I also think it gets harder and harder to believe all these coincidences when one looks at them in the larger picture. I mean Kansas literally just got off probation in October 09, IIRC they were the first school in NCAA history to win a basketball national championship while on probation.

 

[DWKB]

Not sure when Neuheisel got involved with UCLA basketball but I seem to recall a football scandal at KU too? Something about coaches provide test answers to football players so they could pass tests?

the complaint was filed against Collins may 07, it wasn't dropped until July 08. I'm guessing Collins played a few games during those 14 months?

Drago has had 2 incidents at UCLA, a former girlfriend accused him of pushing her during an argument after they broke up(she threw all his clothes off the balcony). UCLA suspended Dragovic. then the one this year, and again they suspended him. I would not have reinstated him but they did actually suspend him.

and yes I realize the odds are good of the judge or DA being a KU grad, just as the odds are good that the guy paying for the Rush brothers private school education was a KU alum or the guy paying 5000(not cash but value) for Darnell jackson would be a KU booster too. In Jackson's case you forgot to mention the free travel and personal loan jackson got from Davis. Must have slipped your mind. ANd that guy didn't even live in Kansas, he lived in Oklahoma.

I also think it gets harder and harder to believe all these coincidences when one looks at them in the larger picture. I mean Kansas literally just got off probation in October 09, IIRC they were the first school in NCAA history to win a basketball national championship while on probation.

So now you equate a civil suit with no criminal charges filed (or I forgot, the KBI and Lawrence, DA were in on it) to a dude beating up his gf? Giles beat up his woman and was kicked off the team. You play your guy and get your ass kicked by Portland. Your team can't even win sleazy anymore. No wonder nobody shows up to the games.

I never took you for a crazy person. Now you're look tin hat-ish. Maybe this census job will distract you a bit. Hope things work out for you.

 

[Russ Smith]

So now you equate a civil suit with no criminal charges filed (or I forgot, the KBI and Lawrence, DA were in on it) to a dude beating up his gf? Giles beat up his woman and was kicked off the team. You play your guy and get your ass kicked by Portland. Your team can't even win sleazy anymore. No wonder nobody shows up to the games.

I never took you for a crazy person. Now you're look tin hat-ish. Maybe this census job will distract you a bit. Hope things work out for you.

She filed a civil suit because the DA dropped the charges. And again, I don't think Drago should have been reinstated, I can't control that he was but I won't defend it. That's the difference, you are bending over backwards to avoid seeing that Self and Kansas isn't perfect, there's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this stuff if you're willing to suspend common sense and look hard enough.

What this has to do with my employment situation is beyond me but maybe I can adopt a good highschool basketball player and get myself a job in Lawrence, Kansas? I hear that works well these days.

 

[DWKB]

She filed a civil suit because the DA dropped the charges.

So he should have been suspended because some random girl filed a civil suit against him? One that was dropped after a counter claim threat. Occam's razor works in my favor on this subject. You have to assume serious government corruption to follow through with your "theory".

And again, I don't think Drago should have been reinstated, I can't control that he was but I won't defend it. That's the difference, you are bending over backwards to avoid seeing that Self and Kansas isn't perfect, there's a perfectly logical explanation for all of this stuff if you're willing to suspend common sense and look hard enough.

Look, the BB gun shooting is no different than when UofA players tried to take candy from the vending machine. Stupid young kids do stupid things and if they were unknown it wouldn't be news. Giles was kicked off of KU for the same thing and I fully supported it. He had a second chance, screwed up, and was gone. So why aren't you calling for Howland's head on this situation if you're so pissed? Jackson was punished for his violation. What more do you want?

Now, is there some familial nepotism in Lawrence regarding KU? Of course so! To a fault I'm sure. Midwestern pride and small towns. That's why little old ladies give graduation gifts to players and why a local boy's sister is a trainer on the team (or wait, maybe that was Tyrel Reed's bribe) and why Danny Manning chose to come back and coach here after his NBA career. I honestly doubt any LA team fan could understand that.

What this has to do with my employment situation is beyond me but maybe I can adopt a good highschool basketball player and get myself a job in Lawrence, Kansas? I hear that works well these days.

Like I said, maybe it'll be a welcome distraction. Good luck.

 

[Russ Smith]

So he should have been suspended because some random girl filed a civil suit against him? One that was dropped after a counter claim threat. Occam's razor works in my favor on this subject. You have to assume serious government corruption to follow through with your "theory".




Look, the BB gun shooting is no different than when UofA players tried to take candy from the vending machine. Stupid young kids do stupid things and if they were unknown it wouldn't be news. Giles was kicked off of KU for the same thing and I fully supported it. He had a second chance, screwed up, and was gone. So why aren't you calling for Howland's head on this situation if you're so pissed? Jackson was punished for his violation. What more do you want?

Now, is there some familial nepotism in Lawrence regarding KU? Of course so! To a fault I'm sure. Midwestern pride and small towns. That's why little old ladies give graduation gifts to players and why a local boy's sister is a trainer on the team (or wait, maybe that was Tyrel Reed's bribe) and why Danny Manning chose to come back and coach here after his NBA career. I honestly doubt any LA team fan could understand that.




Like I said, maybe it'll be a welcome distraction. Good luck.

In this situation Occam's razor works AGAINST you, because when you make a list of all the things that have gone on with Townsend and Self at KU the obvious answer is he's not as clean as you'd like us to think he is. You have to really stretch believability to think all of those things are above board and in no way reflect Kansas recruits getting extra benefits in exchange for signing with Kansas. Ask any non Kansas fan to look at that list and they're going to say "Self is not running a clean program." Hell even Kansas fans complained about the guy who hired the Morris twins mom, especially when Self made that guys son his student film coordinator.

Last time I checked taking candy from a machine didn't put anybody else's health in jeopardy? The morris twins didn't put anybody's eye out of course but they certainly could have injured someone. Not to mention the dorm window they fired from was for scholarship athletes only, and they weren't yet on scholarship as they hadn't been cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse.

Jackson was punished by the NCAA, Kansas didn't even know about the situation until they got an anonymous tip which they then reported to the NCAA who suspended him for 9 games. Now they didn't sweep it under the rug but that is likely because since the tip was anonymous they had no way of knowing if the NCAA would be tipped off too.

I don't live in LA so I don't know what you refer to.

I just think it's a bit hypocritical to suggest UCLA fans should be embarassed by Ben Howland's comments and then throw out an attack on a coach who's been retired for 35 years no doubt referring to the actions of an alum who's been dead for 23 years, all the while ignoring the actions of your own favorite team. They got off probation 4 months ago.

If we want to dredge up old things lets look at the previous NC for Kansas under Larry Brown. Kansas became the first defending champs in NCAA history to be banned from defending their NC because they were on probation for spending over $1000 on tranfer Vincent Askew(from Memphis state) in violation of NCAA rules. I mean do we really want to get into how Brown had a former KU player Mike Marshall living in his house(Off and on) and paying money to Askew? Brown says he would have done it again Askew's grandmother was dying, but never explained why if he was so comfortable with it he had a former player and 2 Kansas boosters help arrange the payments instead of just handing the money to Askew himself?

Brown couldn't follow the rules, we already knew that from his 2 years at UCLA yet Kansas hired him and was perfectly fine with him hiring Manning's dad or having ex player Mike Marshall living in his house off and on and using Marshall to hand the money to Askew. Marshall had played at KU, he then transferred to McNeese State where the NCAA found he'd accepted more than 15,000 dollars from boosters in his one year there, but Brown still had no issue letting Marshall in his home?

I guess it's just hard to understand why a coach saying what howland said should embarass fans but the situation at Kansas under Self(and before Self) is apparently something to be proud of? I mean the last 3 coaches at Kansas all got the school on probation. And since we're discussing long ago claims of violations why stop at John Wooden, why not go back to Wilt Chamberlain ? I mean in 1985 Wilt Chamberlain publicly admitted he was paid to play basketball at Kansas back in the 50's. he said he got less than $5000 bucks but that was obviously a lot of money in the 50's. Chamberlain felt the NCAA should overhaul the rules to help athletes survive financially while in school and cited his own situation as proof that the current system incentivized athletes to take money.

I mean the harder you look the more you wonder is Phog Allen the only Kansas coach to ever not have major violations going on under him or did he just not get caught?