Wake Forest forward Jamie Skeen has been suspended by the university for the fall semester for violating an academic policy, the school announced Tuesday.

Men's basketball coach Dino Gaudio said in a statement that the rising junior made a poor decision and said the suspension will be a "learning experience" for Skeen.

Skeen averaged 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 29 games last season. The Charlotte native was The Associated Press men's prep basketball player of the year for North Carolina in 2005 while playing for North Mecklenburg.

MORE BASKETBALL

FORMER DUKE CENTER DIES: The starting center on Duke's first NCAA Tournament team has died.

The school said Tuesday that Junior Morgan, a center from 1953 to 1956, died Saturday of prostate cancer at his home in Winnetka, Ill. He was 74.

Morgan had a team-best 9.1 rebounds as a junior in 1954-55 in leading the Blue Devils to a 20-8 record and their first berth in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost their opener to Villanova.

The following season, he averaged 11.2 points and 9.8 rebounds to help Duke finish 19-7.

McKILLOP CLOSE TO NEW DEAL: After leading Davidson within a missed 3-pointer of the Final Four, men's basketball coach Bob McKillop is close to an agreement on a new long-term contract. He said Tuesday that a news conference announcing the deal would be held "in the very near future."

BRIEFLY: Former Texas Christian assistant Sean Woods was hired as the new coach at Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday.

* Furman junior forward Stanley Jones is transferring to Division II Francis Marion.

* Mike Bozeman was hired Tuesday as George Washington's women's basketball coach.

FOOTBALL

ALABAMA LINEBACKER ARRESTED: Alabama linebacker Jimmy Johns was arrested on felony drug charges Tuesday and kicked off the team, the latest in a string of off-the-field problems for coach Nick Saban's squad.

Johns, who moved to defense for his senior year after playing running back and receiver in 2007, was "pretty wide open" selling cocaine to students on and around campus but tried to hide it from his teammates, police said.

Records did not indicate whether Johns had hired a lawyer. He was held at the metro jail with bond set at $120,000.

ASU PLAYER INELIGIBLE: Appalachian State starting defensive end Gary Tharrington has been ruled academically ineligible for the 2008 season.

Coach Jerry Moore said Tuesday he hopes Tharrington will learn from his mistakes and regain his eligibility next year.

BRIEFLY: Rick Strom is moving from sideline reporter to the broadcast booth to serve as the new color analyst for Georgia Tech's football radio broadcasts.

* Less than a month after being released from his letter of intent by Washington State because of a series of traffic violations, quarterback Calvin Schmidtke signed Tuesday to play at Indiana State.

FIELD HOCKEY

UNC VISITS WHITE HOUSE: The national champion North Carolina field hockey team took part in Champions Day on Tuesday at the White House.

"The University of North Carolina women's field hockey team compiled a perfect 24-0 record, making them just the fifth team in the sport history to finish undefeated," President Bush said during his speech.

(From Event News Release)