South Carolina Basketball: Guard Rakym Felder Suspended Indefinitely

COLUMBIA, SC — The South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team reached the Final Four earlier this year, but if they're going to do it again they'll have to deal with the loss of guard Rakym Felder, who made "some unfortunate decisions," according to his coach.

Coach Frank Martin on Wednesday announced that Felder was suspended indefinitely and won't be attending classes in the fall. He had been suspended since the end of June over a fight outside a bar. He was arrested July 13 and charged with assault and battery.

"Due to some unfortunate decisions by Rakym, he has been suspended indefinitely from our program," Martin said in a statement.

South Carolina basketball already had a short backcourt following last season's NCAA Tournament run. Three starting guards, including leading scorer Sindarius Thornwell and rising sophomore P.J. Dozier, are no longer with the team. Dozier entered the NBA draft and, after not getting selected, signed this month with the Dallas Mavericks. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Thornwell signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, who picked him in the second round.

Felder, of Brooklyn, New York, was supposed to fill one of the vacancies. He played in 36 games last season and averaged 14.6 minutes off the bench.

Like the rest of the team, Felder stepped things up in the NCAA tournament, scoring 15 points, including going 7-of-8 at the foul line in the final five minutes to hold off No. 2 seed Duke, 88-81, in the second round.

Felder also had nine points and three assists in South Carolina's Sweet 16 win, a 70-50 victory over No. 3 seed Baylor.

Minus Felder, the Gamecocks only guard from South Carolina's regular rotation with experience at South Carolina is junior Hassani Gravett.

Felder took full responsibility for his actions and apologized to the school, the team and Gamecock fans in a statement through his attorney, Neal Lourie.

"I know I have let you down and I will have to work hard to regain your trust," Felder said.

Lourie said Felder has personal issues that "he cannot fix alone and requires professional help." Lourie did not elaborate on those problems.

This is the second time Felder has been arrested since enrolling. Last October, he was tasered by police stemming from a bar fight and charged with six counts, including assault and battery and resisting arrest.

Felder entered a pre-trial intervention program and played after missing only one game. "'He's a beautiful kid, not a good kid, a beautiful kid," Martin said on Nov. 13 in defense of playing Felder against Holy Cross.

Lourie requested a jury trial on Felder's latest charge. A trial date has not been set.

Martin said he'll stand by Felder this time, too, and continue to "help Rakym grown as a young man even though basketball is not part of our relationship right now."

By PETE IACOBELLI, AP Sports Writer

Photo credit: Frank Franklin II/Associated Press