Kabongo Suspension Reduced On Appeal to 23 Games

Myck Kabongo will be wearing a Longhorns jersey this season after all.

The sophomore point guard, a projected NBA draftee and standout for most creative spelling of the name "Mike," Kabongo had his suspension for accepting airfare and then being untruthful about it reduced to 23 games, including the 11 he's already sat out.

The Zaire-born Canadian is eligible to return to the Longhorns for the last 8 games of the conference schedule, ESPN reported Friday, a day after a yearlong banishment was announced. You take a free flight to Cleveland, you best not tell officials you just wanted to see the Sly Stone exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The 11th ranked player in the country coming out of high school, Kabongo was a slight disappointment last year, with 10 points and 5 assists a game. The Kabongo fury was released, however, with back-to-back double doubles on the road against ranked Missouri and Kansas State teams. We've not yet seen Mr. Myck at his best, but maybe that's because the lasting image of last season was a loud growrh from his ear that looked a lot like Coach Rick "Bad Cop" Barnes. And he thought the first winter in Toronto was harsh.

Kabongo will miss a big home game Jan. 19 against Kansas, but will be back in time for the Feb. 13 Iowa State game..

In the meantime, freshman point guard Javan Felix is getting valuable experience running the team in Bongo's silence. Felix does a great D.J. Augustin impression, but needs to watch the T.O.'s With Felix taking a well-deserved rest before March Madness, he and Kabongo could have the fresh legs to take the Horns far, especially if power forward Jaylen Bond also returns, from injury.

What looked to be a disastrous season for Texas, after they were embarassed by Georgetown and then stunk it up against UCLA for a 5-4 record, is starting to look promising, especially after the Horns beat North Carolina by 18 points Wednesday in a true team effort. The San Antone Twin Tone- Jonathan Holmes and Connor Lammert are playing especially well all over the court, then you've got Julien Lewis and the streaky Sheldon McClellan to fling the ball at such an angle that it hits the net without disturbing the orange metal hoop. The kids have also recently discovered the backboard on wide-open lay-ups. Wildly cheering his teammates on from the bench against the N.C. Shitheels was Kabongo, who musta known he'd be back when it counts..

But 23 games is still a lot of time in street clothes. The NCAA also cited Kabongo for a personal training session in May with Jerry Powell, a gym dandy for LeBron James' agent Rich Paul. As if he even needs another client, Paul also represents ex-Longhorn Tristan Thompson of the Cleveland Cavaliers, who has been friends and teammates with fellow Toronto resident Kabongo for years. Thompson said that he paid Kabongo's expenses and was reimbursed by Kabongo's brother.The NCAA doesn't see it that way and has ordered Kabongo to donate $475 to charity.