Two Drexel players suspended indefinitely

Drexel men's basketball players Jamie Harris and Kevin Phillip were suspended indefinitely Tuesday after two scholarship athletes surrendered to face charges Monday for last week's failed robbery of another student. Devon Bond, a third Drexel student involved in the scheme, surrendered to police Friday.

One day after Drexel placed the three 21-year-olds on "interim suspension pending the outcome of the investigation," the university's athletic department came down on Harris and Phillip.

In a statement released on its website Tuesday afternoon, the athletic department stated there would be an "indefinite suspension of both student-athletes from the men's basketball."

"We are saddened by these allegations," Drexel athletic director Eric Zillmer said in the website's statement. We are aware of the situation and are fully assisting in authority regarding this matter.

"This comes on the heels of our basketball program being recognized by the NCAA for being a top 10 percent nationally for the last three years in academic performance."

Bond has been accused of hatching a scheme to rob an off-campus apartment.

According to Lt. John Walker of Southwest Detectives, Harris and Phillip were enlisted as the gunmen. But the three found no money and netted only a cell phone. Much of what happened was captured on surveillance cameras, Walker said.

"We are disappointed by these allegations," Drexel men's basketball coach Bruiser Flint said. "Should these allegations prove to be true, we find this behavior to be unacceptable and inconsistent with our program's values and mission."

Harris, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound senior from New York, has become the face of Drexel's basketball program. A three-year starter, he was a third-team all-Colonial Athletic Association selection last season after averaging a team-leading 14.5 points and 3.4 assists per game.

Always polite and soft-spoken to reporters, Harris was the main player Flint depended on for on-the-court leadership.

Flint looked for Phillip, a 6-6, 225-pound forward from Brooklyn, to provide a spark off the bench. The Brooklyn native averaged 2.9 points and 3.1 rebounds while playing 12.6 minutes a game.