Indiana dismisses two starters

BLOOMINGTON, Ind., April 1 (UPI) -- Starting guards Armon Basset and Jamarcus Ellis were dismissed from the Indiana University basketball team, the Hoosiers Athletic Department said Tuesday.

University officials gave no reason for the dismissals, but The Indianapolis Star reported that the players had missed a meeting last week and then failed to show when interim coach Dan Dakick ordered the pair to run at 6 a.m. the next morning. The newspaper said neither player showed for the run.

Basset and Ellis also were suspended during the season for alleged violations of team rules.

Basset, a sophomore, averaged 11.4 points while Ellis, a junior, averaged 6.8 points a game for Indiana.

If freshman point guard Eric Gordon enters the NBA draft, the new Hoosiers coach will open the season without any returning starters.

Indiana is looking for a new head coach after the resignation of Kelvin Sampson in February because of NCAA accusation of rules violations. Indiana finished the season 25-8 -- 3-4 after Sampson resigned -- and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament.