LITTLE ROCK — A brief look at the trials and tribulations of the Arkansas basketball team during the past several months:
2008 AUG. 8
Guard Patrick Beverley won’t play for what would have been his junior season. No specific reason is given, but sources confirm it involves an academic issue.
AUG. 16
Patrick Beverley tells FoxSports.com that he “violated NCAA rules” but offers no details. Arkansas officials continue to say they can’t comment on Beverley’s case because of student privacy reasons.
AUG. 21
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that UA reported six secondary NCAA violations involving the men’s basketball program dating to February 2007 according to a response to a state Freedom of Information act request, but no major violations were reported to which Beverley referred.
OCT. 23
Arkansas freshman guards Courtney Fortson and Jason Henry are suspended by Coach John Pelphrey for the Red-White intrasquad game.
NOV. 3
Jason Henry returns for the exhibition opener against Campbellsville, but Courtney Fortson remains on suspension.
NOV. 6
Courtney Fortson returns for exhibition game with Dillard.
NOV. 22
Jason Henry sits out a game at Missouri State to begin what turns into a three-game suspension.
NOV. 29
Junior forward Montrell McDonald misses a game against Florida A&M because of an indefinite suspension.
DEC. 3
Henry returns for game against Texas Southern.
DEC. 15
Coach John Pelphrey announces that Montrell McDonald is no longer on the team.
2009 JAN. 10
Arkansas enters SEC play riding the wave of a 12-1 nonconference record, including victories over No. 4 Oklahoma and No.
7 Texas, and promptly loses its SEC opener at home to Mississippi State, 70-56. It is a preview of what will be an awful SEC season for the Razorbacks.
JAN. 18
Freshman forward Brandon Moore is suspended indefinitely - he misses three games - after being arrested on several traffic-related charges, including DWI.
JAN. 24
It is announced that senior forward Marcus Monk is being withheld indefinitely from competition while an issue that could affect his eligibility is reviewed.
JAN. 31
Brandon Moore is reinstated after serving a three-game suspension.
FEB. 13
An announcement is madesaying Marcus Monk will not play the rest of the season as a result of an investigation into NCAA rules violations. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette sports editor Wally Hall writes in his column that Monk was forced to borrow money from someone he had known since he was 10 years old to pay some bills, and that a bank employee called the UA to report Monk and the check.
FEB. 7
Arkansas can’t hold a 15-point halftime lead and loses 86-77 at Mississippi State.
F
EB. 13
Courtney Fortson is suspended for the Kentucky game, which the Razorbacks lose 79-63 as Wildcats guard Jodie Meeks burns them for a Walton Arena-record 45 points.
FEB. 18
Courtney Fortson returns to the lineup against LSU, but the Razorbacks can’t hold an 18-point lead and lose 72-69 to fall to 1-10 in SEC play, including 1-5 at home.
MARCH 8
Arkansas extends its SEC road losing streak to 13 games with a 75-58 loss at Vanderbilt. The Razorbacks finish SEC regular-season play at 2-14, their most SEC losses since joining the conference in 1992 and their worst conference record since 1971, when they were 1-13 in the Southwest Conference.
MARCH 10
Jason Henry is suspended for the third time by Coach John Pelphrey and doesn’t travel to Tampa, Fla., for the SEC Tournament.
MARCH 12
Arkansas loses to Florida 73-58 in the first round of the SEC Tournament to finish 14-16.
APRIL 22
It is announced that Brandon Moore is transferring.
APRIL 27
Freshman forward Andre Clark confirms to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that he is transferring.
MAY 6
An announcement is made regarding the men’s basketball program’s Academic Progress Report score of 888, the worst score of any men’s basketball team in the SEC. The score means the team likely will lose a scholarship next year.
MAY 30
Junior guard Marcus Britt is suspended indefinitely, Coach John Pelphrey announces, after Britt was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated and several other traffic-related offenses in Forrest City.
MAY 31
Patrick Beverley tells DraftExpress.com that “someone from Arkansas” was doing class papers for him and some of his teammates and that’s why he was ineligible to play.
JUNE 2
Patrick Beverley tells The Associated Press in Minneaspolis he doesn’t know of any Arkansas teammates who had papers done for them, that he takes responsibilityfor having a paper done for him, and accepts his punishment and has learned from his mistake.
JULY 5
Coach John Pelphrey announces that Jason Henry is no longer on the team. Henry becomes the fourth player from the 2009 recruiting class to transfer or be dismissed from the team.
AUG. 10
Freshman signee Anthony Borden, a 7-0 center from West Memphis, isn’t academically eligible to play at Arkansas, Coach John Pelphrey announces. Instead, Borden will attend Holmes (Miss.) Community College.
SEPT. 9
News breaks that three Arkansas basketball players are being investigated after being accused of rape by a female student during an incident at a fraternity house. The Washington County prosecutor’s office says no charges will be filed based on a police department investigation that indicates the sexual acts seemed to be consensual.
SEPT. 9
Courtney Fortson wasn’t among the players involved in the fraternity house incident, but it is reported by media outlets that two days before the police investigation became public, he posted on his Twitter account the message: “Im gettin it at workouts like a dude who doesnt understand the word no from a drunk girl lol.”
SEPT. 17
Arkansas announces that the players involved in the fraternity house incident will be suspended for two to three regular-season games and face other disciplinary measures.
Athletic Director Jeff Long also confirms that Courtney Fortson, who wasn’t involved in the incident, will face game suspensions for making insensitive remarks on his Twitter account about another member of the UA community in violation of the athletic department’s policy on socialnetworking web sites.
NOV. 2
Senior guard Stefan Welsh, areturning starter, is suspended, Coach John Pelphrey announces after the Razorbacks’ exhibition opener against Dillard. Pelphrey said it’s possible Welsh could be suspended the entire first semester, but also possible he could come back sooner. Welsh wasn’t among the players involved in the fraternity house incident, according to a police report.
Special, Pages 121 on 11/08/2009