State has no comment on Austin's status

By By Danny P. Smith / special to The Star
Nov. 20, 2002
STARKVILLE There was no word coming out of Mississippi State Tuesday about the eligibility of standout junior basketball player Mario Austin.
The university participated in a conference call with the NCAA, which lasted into the evening hours, but no decision was reached. It is not clear whether the issue might be resolved today.
Neither MSU athletic director Larry Templeton nor head basketball coach Rick Stansbury gave a comment before leaving campus Tuesday. They have indicated that they would not comment on the situation until the issue has been cleared up.
Austin's academic record at Sumter County High School in York, Ala., is being questioned by the NCAA.
According to Sumter County principal Ellis Levy, NCAA investigators visited the school in August and asked to look at Austin's academic transcript for possible discrepancies. The investigation concentrated on Austin's grades and transcript of 1999 after Austin signed with the Bulldogs.
While the NCAA has been looking into the matter, Austin has been held out of action by Stansbury. He did not participate in either exhibition game and his status for Saturday's season opener against Louisiana-Lafayette remains uncertain after Tuesday's delay.
Austin is Mississippi State's returning leader in points and rebounds from last season. He averaged 16.1 points and 7.6 rebounds for the Bulldogs.