LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- Nevada-Las Vegas center John Flowers, a sixth-round draft choice of the Sacramento Kings, was arrested Wednesday on attempted rape, burglary and robbery charges.
Flowers, 6-foot-10, was taken into custody by police shortly after midnight.
Police said a resident of an apartment on South Arville telephoned authorities and said a man forced his way into her apartment and attempted to sexually assault her.
She told police she kicked her assailant in the groin and escaped to notify authorities. The alleged victim said the intruder took a box of jewelry from the apartment.
Flowers, who allegedly had a piece of the victim's jewelry in his possession, was booked into the Clark County Detention Center. He was held on $20,000 bail, plus an additional $830 bail for three outstanding traffic warrants: operating a vehicle without a valid license, operating an unregistered vehicle and a speeding citation.
'I've known him for four years and I'm shocked,' said UNLV basketball coach Jerry Tarkanian. 'It doesn't sound like him at all. The news surprises and disappoints me and I hope there is some mistake.'
Tarkanian continued: 'He seemed excited about being selected in the pro draft. Being picked in the sixth round was a plus for him, and he had plans to play in Europe if he couldn't make it in the NBA.'
Flowers, 24, transferred to UNLV from Indiana following his freshman season. He was a starter in 1983-84 and 1985-86 for the Rebels. He sat out the 1984-85 season as a redshirt due to a back injury.
