Amid allegations of impropriety against Stan Heath’s basketball program at The University of South Florida, Flint-area basketball fans will be interested to read this about former Flint Southwestern standout Anthony “Noopy” Crater.
Besides the alleged violations, three current USF players — Dominique Jones, Anthony Crater and Justin Leemow — were the primary suspects in the April 2009 theft of nearly $8,000 worth of items stolen from former players Gaby Belardo and Jesus Verdejo, according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office report. The father of one of the victims said he believes that Heath never contacted the police about the burglary to protect the current players. The items have not been recovered and no charges were filed.
Crater prepped at SWA for three years before transferring to New Hampshire for his senior season. He quit Ohio State’s team last season after claiming that Coach Thad Matta promised him the starting job — a claim Matta denies.