Demetris not with Panthers

Yuri Demetris is, at this time, not a part of the Pitt men’s basketball team.

He was… Yuri Demetris is, at this time, not a part of the Pitt men’s basketball team.

He was suspended indefinitely on Sunday night after head coach Jamie Dixon found out that Demetris was arrested on two counts of burglary and one count of assault early Sunday morning.

His preliminary hearing is set for 1 p.m. on Thursday.

According to the Pitt Police report, Demetris, 23, climbed through the window of the apartment of Pitt junior Rebecca Emmers, 21, around midnight.

Emmers, a former girlfriend of Demetris, asked him to leave or she’d call the police. Reportedly, he shoved her and left.

Records inidcate he returned later, climbing through the same window around 1:45 a.m. An argument ensued, and he allegedly hit her with a closed fist on the chin and fled the scene.

Emmers, a member of Pitt’s tennis team, was not seriously injured in the altercation and did not need hospital treatment.

Pitt athletics released a statement from Jamie Dixon Sunday evening.

“Effective immediately, Yuri Demetris is suspended from the team and will not play or participate in any team-related activities,” Dixon said. “Discipline and proper behavior must remain the foundation of our program. Even though he is not formally with the team at this time, we will ensure that he receives the appropriate support from the University and athletics department.”

Demetris was an everyday starter for the Panthers (12-2, 2-1 Big East), starting in all 14 games for Pitt this season.

In those games, Demetris played strong defense and recorded an average of 3.8 points per game. However, he did not score a single point in Saturday’s game against Seton Hall. He was also pulling down 3.4 rebounds per game.

Both Emmers and Demetris could not be reached for comment.

Dixon spoke briefly in a press conference yesterday before he got on a plane for New York.

“As far as the team, they definitely care,” he said. “He’s not with us. He’s taking care of the situation at hand.”

“I just hope he’s doing fine,” Carl Krauser said, adding that he’s focused on the St. John’s game.

The No. 20-ranked Panthers will travel to New York City for their matchup against St. John’s on Tuesday night.