Mizzou alum makes his screen debut

McKinney stars in indie 'Streetballers'

Jimmy McKinney, the former guard and sometime scapegoat for Missouri's woes during the tumultuous years under former coach Quin Snyder, has embarked on an acting career.

He's the star of a well-received independent film called "Streetballers," in a role that somewhat mirrors his life as a kid who made it out of a rough inner-city upbringing.

"On the screen with a camera right in your face it's totally different," said McKinney, a four-year starter at Missouri from 2003-06. "But I can be more myself, so that makes it easier."

The film took the second place jury prize at the recent Hollywood Black Film Festival and played to a receptive crowd at the Tivoli Theater in suburban St. Louis late last month. It will be shown in September at the Urban World Film Festival in New York City.

MORE BASKETBALL

ASU PROMOTES EALY: Josh Ealy has been promoted to assistant men's basketball coach at Appalachian State, head coach Houston Fancher announced. Ealy spent last season as a graduate assistant at ASU.

ILLINI GUARD DISMISSED: Junior guard Jamar Smith was dismissed from the Illinois men's basketball team Thursday, two days after a prosecutor asked a judge to revoke his probation for allegedly drinking alcohol.

Smith was serving two years' probation after pleading guilty to felony driving under the influence.

FOOTBALL

BUSH HEADED TO COURT: A judge in San Diego has decided a sports marketer's civil suit against former Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush will proceed in open court instead of going to confidential arbitration.

Lawyers for Lloyd Lake argued in San Diego Superior Court on Friday that the former Southern California star is trying to hide details from NCAA investigators about gifts he allegedly took from Lake's New Era Sports agency while playing for the Trojans.

Lake is seeking to recoup about $291,000 in cash and gifts the New Orleans Saints running back and his family allegedly accepted during Bush's sophomore and junior years.

GEORGIA'S MUNSON RECOVERING: Longtime Georgia play-by-play announcer Larry Munson is nearly recovered from brain surgery and looking forward to his 43rd season in the radio booth.

Munson, 85, underwent surgery April 4 to remove blood clots from his brain.

A statement from his family said Munson will have to cut back on the rest of his schedule to handle his radio duties.

SOONERS FRESHMAN DISMISSED: An incoming freshman player at Oklahoma was dismissed from the football team Friday by coach Bob Stoops after a video of him rapping about guns and shooting people appeared on the Internet.

The dismissal of wide receiver Josh Jarboe came after the player appeared in a 74-second, profanity-laced video.

The 6-foot-3, 195-pound Jarboe signed with the Sooners in February. In March, he was arrested after an assistant principal at Cedar Grove High School in Ellenwood, Ga., told a school police officer he saw Jarboe grab a gun from a car.

Jarboe was expelled from school but completed his high school degree online.

TRACK AND FIELD

STATE, DUKE ATHLETES HONORED: Stephen Furst of N.C. State was named as the ACC's Men's Outdoor Track and Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Duke junior Maddie McKeever was named the ACC Indoor Women's Track & Field Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the ACC announced Friday.

Furst, a graduate student in aerospace engineering, is a two-time All-ACC Academic team selection and a four-year member of the ACC Honor Roll. He won ACC championships at 5,000 and 10,000 meters and finished third in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. Furst placed 10th in the 10,000 at the NCAA Championships to earn All-American honors.

McKeever, a biology major and two-time ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDa Academic All-American, won the 5,000 at the ACC Indoor Championships and placed third at the NCAA Indoor Championships to claim her fifth All-America honor.