High School Football Recruit Made Up Story

A Fernley High School football player who had claimed he was duped into believing he was recruited to play at a Pac-10 school admitted Wednesday he made up the story.

Kevin Hart, a 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive lineman, offered a broad apology in a statement he issued Wednesday afternoon through the Lyon County School District. He said he had wanted to play football at a Division I school "more than anything."

"When I realized that wasn't going to happen, I made up what I wanted to be reality. I am sorry for disappointing and embarrassing my family, coaches, Fernley High School, the involved universities and reporters covering the story," Hart said.

Lyon County sheriff's detectives had said earlier Wednesday that they had been unable to corroborate Hart's claims that he had been duped by a man he had paid to help promote him in his bid to play college football.

Hart spoke with deputies Saturday, a day after he announced at a school assembly and a press conference that he would sign with University of California, Berkeley.

At the announcement ceremony on Friday, Hart, with Fernley coach Mark Hodges at his side, said he talked Cal head coach Jeff Tedford many times, and that "personal experience" led to his decision to choose the Golden Bears over Oregon, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported.

But the announcement was questioned almost immediately, and on Monday officials with California and University of Oregon said Hart was never recruited by their programs.

Lyon County sheriff's Lt. Rob Hall said Wednesday morning that "nothing has been corroborated."

"There are some things that appear to be inconsistent with how the [recruiting] process works," he said.

Hall said Hart had claimed the alleged recruiter was named Kevin Riley, and that he believed he was from Las Vegas.

Hart, however, was "unable to provide any phone numbers, addresses," or other contact information for the purported recruiter, Hall said.

On Tuesday, Lyon County School District administrators said an internal investigation showed that none of the universities once thought to have pursued Hart -- including Nevada, Washington and Oklahoma State -- were involved.

Superintendent Nat Lommori and Assistant Superintendent Teri White, in issuing the statement the day before recruits across the country sign letters of intent to play for college programs, said they wanted to relieve concerns prospective recruits to those schools might have because of the Hart matter.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Grizzles Active; Pau to Lakers-Stromile to Nets

The Los Angeles Lakers bolstered their banged-up front line Friday with a key acquisition, 7-footer Pau Gasol of the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers gave up Kwame Brown, rookie Javaris Crittenton and two first-round draft picks for Gasol. The Spaniard is certain to help a Lakers team reeling from recent injuries to inside players, including blossoming center Andrew Bynum. Gasol, averaging 18.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.44 blocked shots in 39 games this season, can fill in at center until Bynum returns in mid-March and then move to power forward.

The Grizzlies will get the Lakers' first-round draft choices in 2008 and 2010; guard Aaron McKie, signed earlier Friday for salary cap purposes; cash considerations, and the rights to Gasol's brother Marc, a 2007 second-round pick of Los Angeles.

"We're extremely pleased to be able to make this trade," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. "Pau is a proven player of All-Star caliber in this league who can score and rebound and is still a young player. We feel this strengthens our team in the short term as well as the long term." Gasol, the NBA rookie of the year in 2002 and an All-Star four years later, has averaged 18.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 476 career games with Memphis. The 27-year-old forward-center, under contract for three more years, is the franchise leader in 12 statistical categories, including points, rebounds and blocks.

Additionally, a Grizzlies source told The Commercial Appeal of Memphis that forward Stromile Swift has been traded to the New Jersey Nets for center Jason Collins. According to the newspaper, the deal had been discussed for the past week and is expected to be finalized on Monday.