James leaves Minnesota due to personal problems

He turned down the offer.

James, convicted this summer in a domestic assault case after helping the Golden Gophers to the Final Four last spring, has decided to leave school and pursue a professional basketball career. James made his decision after the university told him he would be suspended for the entire 1997-98 season.

"Courtney was involved in behavior that I simply will not tolerate in my program," coach Clem Haskins said during a brief news conference Saturday. "Courtney did a marvelous job on the court, but like a lot of young people he made some poor decisions. He paid a stiff penalty for his mistakes."

James, a 6-foot-8 forward, was arrested in April, just two weeks after the Gophers lost to Kentucky in the national semifinals. He was accused of hitting his girlfriend in the face with an address book.

He was convicted last month on one misdemeanor count of intending to cause fear. He was found innocent of intending to cause harm, another misdemeanor.

James also was accused in two separate cases of threatening women, although no charges were filed. One of those women taped a conversation with Haskins last summer in which the coach said she should have gone to him first before the police. Excerpts of that conversation were played on a local television station.

"He made some poor decisions," Haskins said. "He's not the only one. We've got people (all over) our country who make poor decisions. He just made one that he got caught, and the media really picked up on it and made a lot of national news."

James was unavailable for comment Saturday. His mother, Esther Whitley of Indianapolis, did not return a telephone message.

James did apologize to several people, including his mother, Haskins and the university, through a release issued by the school.

"My actions have put the people close to me and the program through a very difficult, embarrassing and painful time," James said. "I feel I have learned from my actions."

The university suspended James indefinitely after his arrest in April. Three other players later were accused in separate sexual assault cases, none of which resulted in charges.

James, a starter who averaged 8.4 points and 7.2 rebounds, also is the second member of last year's Big Ten championship team to leave school. Charles Thomas, a guard who was usually the first player off the bench, transferred to Eastern Kentucky.

"We have to move on," Haskins said. "(James) is not the first young man who has made a mistake that played for coach Haskins.

"These things happen. You're dealing with young people. ... It's over, and we'd like to put this behind us and move on."

Haskins, men's athletic director Mark Dienhart and vice president of student affairs McKinley Boston have been mulling James' future since his arrest in the spring. They decided to suspend him for the entire season, but he could have earned financial aid and stayed in school.

He also might have been able to practice with the team if he completed a counseling program started last spring and abided by a strict behavioral contract.

Instead, he probably will try to catch on with a team in Europe or in a domestic league such as the CBA or USBL.

09-22-97