COACH: [NAME DELETED] OFF TEAM

MEBANE - [NAME DELETED] and two of his teammates will not play basketball
again this year for Eastern Alamance High School, their coach said Friday
night.

The decision halts the prep career of [NAME DELETED] , the state's all-time
leading scorer and a University of North Carolina signee, and throws his
promising basketball future into doubt. The announcement by coach John
Moon, who did not mention the players by name, came two days after [NAME
DELETED] and 49 other students were arrested as part of a sweeping drug
raid at area high schools.

Authorities had planted undercover officers in the schools after school
administrators learned that substance abuse and dealing was getting out of
hand.

Moon told a group of reporters after Eastern's game Friday night that it
was he, not school administrators, who made the final decision to dismiss
[NAME DELETED] and the others from the team. He said he simply carried out
a behavioral policy that was explained to each player at the start of the
season. He made the call as soon as he heard about the arrests.

"That decision was made that day - instantaneously," said Moon.

[NAME DELETED] , an 18-year-old senior, faces eight marijuana-related
charges, six of which are felonies. The other two players dismissed from
the team are [NAME DELETED] , 17, and a juvenile.

The announcement capped an emotional week for Moon and the rest of the
school, which has received national media attention since Wednesday's
busts. Most of the coverage has focused on [NAME DELETED] , a 6-foot-3
guard who is averaging more than 40 points per game and committed to UNC
nearly two years ago.

UNC coach Roy Williams has largely stayed away from the issue, saying he'll
be the one to make a decision on [NAME DELETED] 's playing status. UNC
applicants must provide an explanation to the school if they've been out of
school for reasons other "routine vacations, disability-related reasons, or
school-related activities," according to the freshman application. [NAME
DELETED] and the others were issued long-term suspensions of more than 10
days. [NAME DELETED] and his family could not be reached for comment.