by Riley Bauling
Daily Lobo
After resisting arrest last Sunday, Kyle Prochaska withdrew from his classes Friday and has decided not to return to the UNM men's basketball team for his senior season.
The junior forward was suspended for the remainder of the season following his arrest, but made the decision to leave UNM for good on the last day to withdraw from classes.
UNM head coach Ritchie McKay said Prochaska will go home to Wahoo, Neb., before he tries to enroll at another university. McKay said he wasn't sure if Prochaska intends to play college basketball again.
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If Prochaska transfers to another Division I school, he would have to sit out a year due to NCAA transfer rules. He could play next season at a Division II school or junior college.
Prochaska could not be reached for comment Sunday.
The 20-year-old Prochaska started nine games for the Lobos, averaging 4.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 18.1 minutes per game.
The 6-foot-6-inch transfer from Iowa Western Community College was arrested by Bernalillo County sheriff's deputies after they found him asleep in the back of his car Sunday morning.
The car was missing its left-front tire and was parked against a chain-link fence, according to the police report. When officers tried to get Prochaska out of the car, he resisted until they used pepper spray to remove him from the vehicle. In the police car, Prochaska began spitting, forcing officers to place a "spit hood" on him, the report stated.
He now faces a misdemeanor charge of resisting, evading and obstructing an officer.
McKay said during the season he has a no-drinking policy for all players on the team regardless of age.
"I ask them not to drink," he said. "It's no different than asking them not to wear headbands or have their socks the same length. It's something we can sacrifice for six months during the season."
Prochaska was the latest Lobo transfer to face trouble with police. Three other players who came to the team this year have had legal problems.
McKay said his players' woes with police have been a shock, especially because it's not something he has had to deal with before.
"It's my 11th year (coaching), and I've never had a player arrested before," he said. "That's my responsibility - to try to attract the best student athletes to this University. We are visible to the community, but at the same time we have to heighten our personal responsibility and accountability."
