NCAA Reprimands Ole Miss’ Henderson

June 26, 2013

MorrisAdmin,

(Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI Sports/Associated Press) – The NCAA has issued an official reprimand to University of Mississippi basketball player Marshall Henderson for his conduct following the Rebels’ third-round NCAA tournament game.

After Ole Miss’ season-ending 76-74 loss to La Salle in Kansas City on March 24, Henderson reportedly extended both middle fingers to the crowd as he left the court. Henderson later apologized in a letter posted on Ole Miss’ website.

The NCAA issued the reprimand Wednesday, saying Henderson’s actions failed to represent the “highest standards of sportsmanship.” The reprimand letter came from Ron Wellman, chairman of the Division I Men’s Basketball Committee and athletic director at Wake Forest.

“Marshall has accepted responsibility for his actions, and we are moving forward. We understand and appreciate the NCAA’s stance on unsportsmanlike behavior. Marshall has apologized to the NCAA men’s basketball committee, and we are supporting him as he assumes a greater leadership role on our team,” Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said in a statement.

Henderson, a 6-foot-2 guard who started his career at Utah and then played at a junior college in Texas before transferring to Ole Miss, helped turn the Rebels into one of the most offensive-minded teams in the country. He led the SEC in scoring and helped Ole Miss win the SEC tournament and earn an NCAA tournament berth for the first time since 2002.