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'06 NJ F Lance Thomas (Duke signee)

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Credit goes to osubucks22 for the find.....

link

4/27/06

Prep star to decide between RU, Duke, Florida on Tuesday


Lance Thomas, the 6-foot-9 McDonald's All-America from St. Benedict's Prep, will announce his college decision at a press conference in the school's board room at 4 p.m. on May 4, St. Benedict's coach Dan Hurley said on Tuesday.

"That's the official day he will make an announcement," Hurley said by phone. "He could see himself at any of the three schools that were interested in him, that have been recruiting him the whole year, Florida, Duke or Rutgers."

Hurley said that Thomas made one more trip to Duke the weekend of April 22-23 "to have one final conversation" with coach Mike Krzyzewski and the coaching staff.

"He'll stop down at Rutgers one more time before that day and he'll listen to (Florida) coach (Billy) Donovan before that day (May 4)," Hurley added. "We just wanted to have a date set for him."

Hurley said that Thomas made a visit to Louisville last week, but that the school ultimately "got involved with him too late."

Asked if 5-11 point guard Eugene Harvey would also announced on May 4, Hurley said, "We're not sure with Eugene. Hopefully that will be ironed out in the next 24 to 48 hours."

After winning the MVP of the Jordan Regional Game at Madison Square Garden on Saturday, Harvey said that he still planned to visit two of the following four schools, Maryland, Seton Hall, Pittsburgh and Florida. He has already visited Rutgers, Southern California and Cincinnati.

Reach Adam Zagoria at (973) 569-7156 or [email protected]
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http://www.cbssports.com/collegebas...-player-thomas-sued-for-68k-in-unpaid-jewelry

Hmmm 30K down payment while you are still on college... say it aint so Coach K.

DALLAS -- A starter on Duke's 2010 national championship team purchased nearly $100,000 in custom jewelry that season from a New York firm that caters to professional athletes and is now suing him for failing to pay the balance of what he owes.

Lance Thomas purchased five pieces of diamond jewelry at a cost of $97,800 on Dec. 21, 2009, in the middle of his senior season, according the lawsuit. Documents included with the suit indicate he made a $30,000 down payment and received $67,800 in credit from the firm, the balance that remains unpaid.

Thomas started 39 games at forward during the 2009-2010 season, including the Blue Devils' 61-59 victory over Butler in the championship game. He wasn't drafted by an NBA team but played last season for the New Orleans Hornets.

The Associated Press recently obtained a copy of the lawsuit, which was filed in January but hasn't been publicly disclosed. It was filed in Austin, Texas, because Thomas was playing for the Austin Toros of the NBA Developmental League at the time.

A Duke spokesman said the university knows about the lawsuit and is looking into it.

"We have been made aware of a lawsuit filed by a jeweler against former men's basketball player Lance Thomas and we are currently looking into the matter," said Jon Jackson, the school's associate athletic director for media relations.

NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said the organization also is aware of the matter and is in communication with Duke.

NCAA rules regarding amateurism prohibit athletes from receiving benefits that aren't available to all students. Speaking generally, Osburn said "the test" for such a violation is whether "the general student body, or someone similarly situated, would be able to get the same benefit or treatment."

Thomas, 24, is from Scotch Plains, N.J., and played at prep power St. Benedict's, according to his biography on the Duke website. The site said his mother is a manager at a Ford plant in New Jersey.

John Spencer, an agent who has represented Thomas, said he wasn't aware of the jewelry purchase. He referred all comment on the lawsuit to an Austin attorney who is representing Thomas in the matter. The attorney didn't return phone messages from the AP.

Rafaello & Co., which also does business as A+A Diamonds Ltd., promotes itself as a "deluxe" jeweler whose customers include New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony and actors Jamie Foxx and Don Cheadle.

Mike Bowers, the firm's attorney, said Thomas purchased a black diamond necklace, a diamond-encrusted watch, a pair of diamond studs, a diamond cross and a black diamond pendant in the shape of Jesus' head. According to the purchase order, signed by Thomas, the player agreed to pay a deposit of at least 25 percent of the purchase price and the remainder in 15 days.

Bowers said he was unaware of how Thomas made the required down payment.

Bowers said he's seen no evidence that anyone other than Thomas was involved in the transaction and he doesn't know why the Duke player was extended credit for most of the purchase.

"It was a clean, clear-cut transaction between Mr. Thomas and my client, and I don't see anything that warrants me asking anything beyond that," Bowers said. "Speaking hypothetically, if he came in on a bicycle with tattered jeans, I doubt seriously he would have been sold jewelry, but I'm not drawing conclusions. The terms here are clear."

Rafaello & Co. filed a similar lawsuit against Dallas Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant last year, claiming he hadn't paid $240,000 for jewelry he purchased between January and May 2010. The purchases detailed in that suit, which has since been settled, occurred after Bryant announced he was leaving Oklahoma State and was entering the 2010 NFL draft.
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Certainly leads to the next question....if Lance Thomas was making that kind of loot as a scrub, how about the good players?

This will be interesting...the NCAA let UNC off the hook with their recent academic scandal, which included UNC basketball players. I wouldn't be surprised if this gets swept under the rug.
 
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billmac91;2208713; said:
Certainly leads to the next question....if Lance Thomas was making that kind of loot as a scrub, how about the good players?

This will be interesting...the NCAA let UNC off the hook with there recent academic scandal, which included UNC basketball players. I wouldn't be surprised if this gets swept under the rug.
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It will. You can't have the NCAA conspire to take down JoePa and Coach K in back to back years.
 
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Duke player Thomas' jewelry suit

The Duke men?s basketball team?s squeaky-clean image has come under question, and its 2010 national title could be in danger, too.
Former Blue Devils? forward Lance Thomas, a New Jersey product from St. Benedict?s Prep who played for local AAU giant New Heights, is being sued for the balance of nearly $100,000 worth of jewelry purchased from a prestigious New York company in December 2009, according to the Associated Press. The case was filed in Dallas in January, but wasn?t made public.
Thomas, a starter on Duke?s 2010 national championship team, reportedly made a $30,000 down payment on the purchase at Rafaello and Co., a New York firm known to cater to professional athletes.
The question is whether the purchase violates NCAA rules and puts the Blue Devils? title in jeopardy. The AP reported there was an agreement between Thomas and Rafaello & Co. giving him credit to pay the remaining $67,800 within 15 days.NCAA spokesman Stacy Osburn told the AP the NCAA is speaking with Duke about the matter. NCAA rules prohibit athletes accepting benefits that aren?t available to all students. Osburn said a violation comes down to whether ?the general student body, or someone similarly situated, would be able to get the same benefit or treatment.?
The company?s lawyer, Mike Bowers, said Thomas purchased a black diamond necklace, a diamond-encrusted watch, a pair of diamond studs, a diamond cross and a black diamond pendant in the shape of Jesus? head. According to the purchase order, which was signed by Thomas, he agreed to pay back at least 25 percent of the price and the rest in 15 days. Reportedly, Thomas never made any additional payments and is being sued for the unpaid portion.
Bowers said he didn?t know how Thomas made the initial payment.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/coll...ves_duke_oBbaxinOEbrWB1ecOz60aL#ixzz25zmBeLDd
 
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