Dickie V article on Little -- XAVIER MENS BASKETBALL

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Date Posted: 08:55:38 05/24/01 Thu
Author: NJ!NP!
Subject: Dickie V article on Little

Importance of maturity lost on Cincy's Little

By Dick Vitale

SPECIAL TO ESPN.COM

There have been too many instances where players have been in trouble off the court. Athletes have to realize they are accountable for their actions. How many chances does a person want?

Think about Cincinnati sophomore center Donald Little, who was the Bearcats' leading rebounder and shot-blocker last season. He would have been a big factor for Bobby Huggins on the baseline. But Little never understood that he had to grow up and take advantage of the opportunities provided him.

Huggins had no choice when he decided to dismiss Little from the basketball team recently. The latest incident came when the center was arrested for a number of motor-vehicle violations, including driving under the influence of alcohol.

For Little, this wasn't his first run-in with the law. There was an incident in a bar earlier this month; he was accused of kicking a female bartender. He also had a previous driving arrest and suspended license.

Now he is outside looking in. His conduct was termed as "detrimental to the basketball program." That is putting it mildly.

What's happening is sad. That was a slap to the Cincinnati program, but you can only do so much. As a coach, you can't walk the player to bed ever night, holding his hand. The athlete has to look in the mirror and know the difference between right and wrong. The player has to realize that he not only represents himself but also his family and the university he plays for.

Little didn't understand that.

It's time that some of these athletes realize the importance of being a champion off the court as well as on it. I don't think it's asking too much to have a player carry himself as a gentleman.

In many cases, if these players weren't athletes and weren't in the limelight, with people in their corner, they wouldn't get as many opportunities when having off-court problems.

Too many times you hear about a player getting chance after chance. After a while, you run out of breaks. That was the case with Little.

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