TROY, N.Y.– Binghamton University basketball player
Emanuel "Tiki" Mayben pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday to
possessing and selling cocaine.
Mayben, who led Binghamton last year to its first
appearance in the NCAA basketball tournament, was arrested Wednesday night in
his hometown of Troy. Investigators were taking him into custody on a sealed
indictment charging him with selling cocaine twice on June 29 when they found
3.4 grams of cocaine on him, police said.
Greg Cholakis, Mayben's lawyer, said his client was
released on $20,000 bail and was on his way back to Binghamton to resume
classes. Mayben didn't make a statement in court Thursday.
Mayben, 22, has never been in trouble before, Cholakis
said.
Binghamton athletic director Joel Thirer said Mayben has
been permanently dismissed from the basketball program. "It's a privilege to be
a student-athlete and represent this University and we will not allow that
privilege to be abused," Thirer said in a prepared statement.
Basketball coach Kevin Broadus did not immediately return
a call seeking comment Thursday.
Mayben set a school single-season record for assists last
year. He was named to the America East Conference All-Tournament team in March
and was a second-team All-Conference selection.
He was once rated the No. 1 recruit in the country for
his age group at Troy High School.
Mayben was recruited by Syracuse University out of high
school, but academic shortcomings prevented him from playing for the Orange. He
instead began his college career at the University of Massachusetts, where he
sat out one season before playing 31 games in the 2006-07 season. He transferred
to Hudson Valley Community College, where he played during the 2007-08 season.
College president Lois DeFleur said in a prepared
statement that Mayben's behavior doesn't reflect the quality of Binghamton's
athletic program. "We appreciate that Coach Broadus has given second-chances to
athletes but our program can not take these risks and I have made this clear to
both Thirer and Broadus."
Mayben's arrest is the latest legal problem for a player
under Broadus since he took over the program in 2007.
Former player Miladin Kovacevic, who wasn't recruited by
Broadus, left a classmate in a coma for several weeks after a barroom brawl in
May 2008. Kovacevic jumped bail and fled to his native Serbia, setting off a
dispute between the U.S. and Serbia over Kovacevic's extradition and
prosecution.
Kovacevic has remained in Serbia, where officials have
promised to prosecute him with assistance from New York authorities. The Serbian
government paid $900,000 in compensation to the family of the victim as part of
the prosecution deal.
In November, Malik Alvin, a transfer student brought in
by Broadus, was charged with stealing condoms from Wal-Mart.
After Binghamton's NCAA appearance, Broadus signed a
contract extension through the 2013-2014 season.