Hurricanes Basketball Player DeQuan Jones Will Sit Out Entire Season for Part in Shapiro Scandal

DeQuan Jones, a University of Miami men's basketball player, will sit out the entire 2011-2012 season as investigators look into Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro's claims that he paid Jones' family to secure his commitment. Jones was the only current basketball player named in the Yahoo! Sports investigation into Shapiro's ties to...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

November 10, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

DeQuan Jones, a University of Miami men's basketball player, will sit out the entire 2011-2012 season as investigators look into Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro's claims that he paid Jones' family to secure his commitment. Jones was the only current basketball player named in the Yahoo! Sports investigation into Shapiro's ties to UM. Shapiro told the site that he gave an assistant coach $10,000 to give to Jones' family to secure his commitment to the program.

Chris Freet, a UM associate athletic director, says Jones suspension is precautionary and doesn't mean the player did anything wrong. "We are holding him out because the investigation is incomplete," he tells Riptide. "This should not be seen as a resolution when it comes to DeQuan Jones."

In Yahoo's report, they write that assistant coach Jake Morton eventually returned the money to Shapiro two years later, and Shapiro says he doesn't believe that Jones himself was aware of the payment.

Jones will now sit out the entire season as the investigation continues. He only made 10 starts last season.

Freet says the move is necessary in case investigators do find any wrongdoing. "We run the risk if he plays and something is found, then they will take away our wins," Freet says.

Either way, Jones's suspensions is the longest yet related to the Shapiro scandal. Several football players were suspended for multiple games after Yahoo's story, but none were forced to miss the entire season.

Follow Miami New Times on Facebook and Twitter @MiamiNewTimes.

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.