Ellerbe intervenes in alleged theft By Mark Francescutti Daily Sports Editor Michigan men's basketball coach Brian Ellerbe was involved in a University student's decision not to press criminal charges against up to three Michigan basketball players, the female student said, who had various items stolen from her room. But she said yesterday that Ellerbe did not directly ask her to drop the charges. The student, who requested that her name not be printed, said that three items - a Palm Pilot, calculator and watch valued at more than $100 - were stolen from her apartment on Nov. 11. The student said she returned to her apartment after a night out with a group of friends including three men's basketball players - junior forward Brandon Smith, freshman forward Leland Anderson and freshman guard Kevin Gaines. After Smith went into her room alone, then left the apartment, the student discovered her Palm Pilot, a handheld personal computer, was missing. "She suspected Brandon Smith," Ann Arbor Police Department Sgt. Michael Logghe said. "Smith was the only one that she implicated." According to the police report, the student asked an acquaintance of Smith's to return the pilot. The next day, she found the device outside her apartment door. After winter break, the student said she saw Ellerbe while visiting an athletic advisor at Weidenbach Hall. She said she initiated a discussion with Ellerbe about the situation. "I was in Weidenbach Hall and he just happened to walk by," the student said. "I told him I didn't know what to do. I told him 'I have a problem with a couple of your players,' and he helped me." Logghe said that Ellerbe "interceded on the players behalf and told her that he would get the items back for her. The items were returned to her, and she decided not to pursue prosecution," he said. "It's not unusual that a crime victim (drops the charges), especially if that person knows the suspect. Quite frankly, it happens all the time." Allegations could have led to charges considered a misdemeanor or felony, were dropped after Anderson returned the final two items, Logghe said. The student denied allegations that Ellerbe approached her later or called her to discuss the situation. Ellerbe "didn't know about this" prior to the inaugural meeting, the student said. "He never called me. He said he would have a meeting with his players. He was there to help me. He wasn't there to protect his players. He said 'I'm very sorry this happened to you, and I'll help you anyway I can.'" After her meeting with Ellerbe, she said, Anderson returned the student's watch and calculator to her apartment. She said that he apologized for the actions of his teammates. Anderson "came into the picture when he got my stuff back to me," the student said. "He said 'I'm sorry my teammates stole your stuff. They didn't mean to hurt you. " The student reaffirmed herself that going to Ellerbe was the right decision - despite media attention. "I'm glad I did talk to him, because he helped get my stuff back," she said. The players "are young guys. They do stupid stuff. I was mad for a while, because they stole my stuff, but now, it's over. I feel bad that it got all over the papers. I just want to be done with it," she said. Originally on page 1A in the 1-31-2000 issue of the Daily.