SMU Reinstates Two Players

Wednesday, May 3rd 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DALLAS (AP) â€” Two Southern Methodist players were reinstated to the team Tuesday as the school concluded its investigation into their actions at a hotel party during the Western Athletic Conference tournament in March.

The two players â€” Jeryl Sasser and Renaldo Bratton â€” were accused of inappropriately touching an SMU cheerleader March 10 at a hotel in Fresno Calif. The two players were questioned by Fresno police, but no charges were filed.

Sasser and Bratton, both junior guards, had been suspended from the team since March 21.

Sasser has scheduled a news conference for Wednesday, when he is expected to declare for the NBA draft.

The players and a group of cheerleaders were in the players' hotel room drinking after SMU lost to Hawaii, according to a police report.

The police report also said Sasser and Bratton denied touching the cheerleader inappropriately. Several players and cheerleaders said they had been drinking, but denied the woman had been assaulted, the report said.

Nine students were disciplined by the school for their involvement in the incident with punishment ranging from judicial reprimand, disciplinary probation and/or mandatory referral to SMU's Center for Alcohol Education, according to a statement from the school.