Basketball Player Kevin Lyde's Eligibility Restored by NCAA

PHILADELPHIA -- Temple University sophomore Kevin Lyde has been cleared to

play in Thursday's Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament game after the NCAA

restored his eligibility, Athletic Director Dave O'Brien announced today.

"After a thorough investigation of the matter, the NCAA has agreed with our

conclusion that a violation occurred when a third party paid for a summer

course Kevin Lyde took in the summer of 1997 while he was in high school.

The NCAA concurred with our one game suspension and with Kevin's pledge to

repay the amount of the course to a charity. His eligibility has been

restored effective immediately," O'Brien said.

O'Brien and Coach John Chaney decided early Friday afternoon, March 3, to

suspend Lyde for the George Washington game pending an investigation into

payment for a summer school class in 1997.

Lyde, a 6-9, sophomore center from Washington, D.C., entered Temple

University as a freshman in September 1998. He played his freshman year and

this season has played in 26 games, starting 24 of them for the Owls. He is

averaging 6.1 ppg and 7.6 rpg. The Owls, 23-5 overall and 14-2 in the

Atlantic 10, will play either Virginia Tech or Fordham in the quarterfinals

of the Atlantic 10 Conference, March 9, at 12 noon at the First Union

Spectrum.

Temple University Athletics