Heath adds punishment for arrested players
USF coach Stan Heath has suspended sophomores Mike Burwell and Toarlyn Fitzpatrick for the first game of the Pan American University Championships in Brazil in August as punishment for their misdemeanor arrests for obtaining food with intent to defraud.
The players, who police said walked out on a $29.91 food bill at the Village Inn located at 215 N. Dale Mabry Highway on May 13, had their case resolved in court Monday. Each had to pay $245 in court fees and must perform community service as part of a pre-trial intervention program to have the charges dropped, Heath said Wednesday.
“They’re embarrassed they let me down,” Heath said. “I understand they’re kids and make mistakes, (but) you have a responsibility as a USF student-athlete.”
Fitzpatrick, a 6-foot-8 forward from King High School in Tampa, started 22 games last year, averaging 4.5 points and 4.3 rebounds and hit the game-tying 3 as time expired in USF’s overtime win against Providence on Jan. 23. Both are expected to be a part of USF’s regular rotation next year.
More Stories
USF professors weigh in after US strikes on Iran nuclear sites
Kyle Burke has seen the U.S. enter multiple Middle Eastern conflicts, such as Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. Still, he said he wasn’t surprised when he saw the U.S. enter another in June. Burke, a USF history professor, has been studying and teaching U.S. foreign relations for nearly two decades. “I had a […]
USF’s presidential search slowed in spring, now resumes with new firm
The USF presidential search committee announced this month its plans to move forward with a new search firm in its pursuit of a new university president. In May, USF spokesperson Althea Johnson told The Oracle that USF would move forward with its presidential search after its initial search firm — SP&A Executive Search — finished […]
USF rocket team takes flight in NASA competition despite challenges
In a field in Alabama, USF Society of Aeronautics and Rocketry members waited for Prometheus — the rocket they’d spent nine months crafting — to take flight. USF’s SOAR was among the 53 teams that launched their rockets for the NASA Student Launch in Huntsville on May 4. The USF team placed 18th after launching […]
USF international students navigate travel under new visa limitations
With a ban restricting visa issuance and entry into the U.S. in effect, USF student Arshia Esmaeilian said he is afraid his parents might not be able to see him graduate next year unless the ban is lifted. “I didn’t really ask for this,” said Esmaeilian, a senior chemistry major. “It’s just something I have […]
USF’s Marshall Student Center to reduce hours amid budget constraints
USF’s Marshall Student Center will operate under reduced hours starting in the upcoming fall semester. New operating hours will go into effect starting on Aug. 17 as listed below: Monday–Thursday: Changing from 7 a.m.–midnight to 8 a.m.–11 p.m. Friday: Changing from 7 a.m.–1 a.m. to 8 a.m.–midnight Saturday: Changing from 8 a.m.–1 a.m. to 8 […]
USF, Crisis Center step up hurricane prep as anxiety lingers from last season
With the arrival of hurricane season in Tampa, USF students – particularly those new to South Florida – may be experiencing increased stress or anxiety after the 2024 season. Running from June 1 to Nov. 30, hurricane season marks the period when tropical storms form and intensify in the Atlantic Ocean, according to the National […]