PD on morris/mcclain

[NashvilleBilliken]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/st...rd%20ineligible

Nothing really new here, but something to read for those of us bored at work...

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McClain leaves SLU; juco guard ineligible

By Stu Durando

Of the Post-Dispatch

updated: 08/25/2003 01:55 PM

SLU basketball roster

Floyd McClain has left the basketball program at St. Louis University after suffering through three injury-plagued seasons with the Billikens.

The 6-4 guard was attempting to return after undergoing back surgery last season. The announcement of his departure for family and personal reasons came on the first day of class.

And it came days after coach Brad Soderberg found out that junior-college point guard Brandon Morris had failed to meet eligibility requirements.

McClain "said he had things more pressing than coming back to St. Louis,'' Soderberg said. "I didn't know what to tell him. It's kind of the end to a long, strange story. He just never got a chance to show what he could do.''

McClain missed the last two seasons due to an assortment of injuries. He played in 21 games during the 2000-01 season for then-coach Lorenzo Romar.

But SLU received an indication of what was to come when he suffered a knee injury on the first day of practice as a freshman.

Despite being at SLU for two seasons, Soderberg only saw McClain in game action briefly last summer when he played limited minutes during the team's European tour.

Romar had called McClain the team's best athlete when he arrived. Soderberg became fond of referring to McClain as his unclaimed lottery ticket, hoping that when he became healthy he would pay off big.

"I was getting kind of excited,'' Soderberg said, "because he was starting to feel good.''

Morris, who signed a letter of intent with SLU last fall, played two seasons at Iowa Western Community College.

"Brandon needed to achieve a certain grade in one course this summer (to be eligible), and he didn't accomplish his objective," Soderberg said. "I'm comfortable with the group of guards that we have on our roster, and there will be more playing time available for the people that are here."