March 31, 2006

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - A former Rhode Island basketball player is suing the school for breach of contract, claiming it reneged on a promise to offer him an athletic scholarship after his first year with the Rams.

Thomas Behrens, of Nanuet, N.Y., also said in his complaint that the university failed to file the proper waivers that would have allowed him to transfer to a different college and play without sitting out a year. Upon learning of his one-year ineligibility, some of the schools recruiting him withdrew their offers, the complaint said.

The lawsuit, filed in superior court in South Kingstown in July 2004, was reported in Friday's Providence Journal. It also names URI head basketball coach James Baron and former athletic director Ronald Petro.

In court filings, URI has denied the allegations.

"With regard to the breach of contract litigation, we don't believe the case has merit," university spokesman Dave Lavallee said Friday.

The school is actively defending the lawsuit, he said.

The Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education has filed a counterclaim on URI's behalf, alleging that Behrens owes the university $46,648 for two years of unpaid tuition, fees and room and board.

Thomas Mirza, Behrens' lawyer, said Friday his client has not been able to attend school since leaving URI in 2004.

Behrens' complaint also implies that URI violated NCAA rules by allowing him to play during the 2002-03 season, his first year at the school. NCAA regulations require a student athlete transferring from one institution to another to complete an academic year with the new school before competing for its team. Behrens transferred from Dominican College in New York to URI in the fall of 2002.

University officials said the NCAA allegation is outside the scope of the complaint, but it has been investigated and the NCAA determined it was a secondary violation. URI has not been listed for any major infractions, according to the NCAA.