'Nova basketball player benched

Villanova freshman basketball player JayVaughn Pinkston has been charged with two counts of simple assault and harassment by Upper Merion police and will not play in any games for the Wildcats pending the results of an internal review, the university said Thursday.

Pinkston, a 6-foot-7, 260-pound forward from Brooklyn, N.Y., was involved in an incident with several other students Saturday night at a party in Upper Merion, according to a statement issued by the university. Upper Merion police said officers had to go to Bryn Mawr Hospital to take an assault report.

Villanova has "opened its own internal review to determine whether Code of Student Conduct violations had occurred in this matter. The university is moving forward with this review as quickly and diligently as possible in order to assure fairness to everyone," the statement said.

The university said Pinkston will be allowed to practice and participate in team activities, but will not play in games.

"JayVaughn is very aware of the seriousness of this matter and how it could impact the team," Villanova coach Jay Wright said in the statement. "He understands there is a great lesson to be learned here."

Pinkston was named a McDonald's all-American at Bishop Loughlin High School. He also was named New York City's player of the year as a senior.

His absence from Friday night's season opener against Bucknell at the Pavilion leaves the Wildcats with eight available scholarship players.