NEW YORK — Kamall Richards is heading to the Atlantic 10.

The 6-foot-6 small forward from South Kent (Conn.) verbally pledged to Xavier at the SNY studios on Tuesday, selecting the Musketeers over St. Joe’s, Seton Hall, Providence and Penn State.

“I’ll be going to Cincinnati to play for Xavier,” Richards said. “I decided on Xavier because it’s the best fit for me. I’ll be able to come in right away, be an impact player and that’s what I need as a freshman to be able to make mistakes and not be penalized and play through my mistakes and get better. So the sophomore year I can really be a main guy for the team.”

Richards visited Xavier two weeks ago and enjoyed it.

“The coaching staff was really cool, the players, the guys are real cool,” he said. “It’s a nice campus, nice city, I liked everything about it really.”

A native of Henryville, Pa., Richards blew up on the summer circuit, playing well at the Reebok Breakout Challenge and the “Live in AC” event. He transferred to South Kent after playing at St. Benedict’s Prep and now has a year to refine his game at the Connecticut prep school.

“Kamall’s work ethic and desire to get better have put him in the position to attend one of the most successful programs in the country,” South Kent coach Kelvin Jefferson said. “Kamall has all the tools needed to play at the highest level. His combination of strength and toughness, combined with his ability to score and his hatred of losing gives him everything he needs to help Xavier continue to be a dominant force in the Atlantic 10.”

Richards is also working on bringing another teammate to Xavier.

Uncommitted point guard Shane Rector, formerly of St. Raymond’s of The Bronx, could be next. Xavier recently offered Rector, who also has interest from Providence, South Carolina, Arkansas and Arizona State.

“I’m trying to get my point guard, Shane Rector, to come out,” Richards said. “He’s a real good point guard. We could definitely use him.”

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Sam Davis,

Sam Davis told SNY.tv he has retained Stuart Brown of Ice Miller LLP in Indianapolis to handle the case.

“We have retained a law firm to see if could do something about this decision by the NCAA,” Davis said. “This firm has dealt with issues in the past against the NCAA and they feel that there be a chance to change the ruling.”

As reported by CBSSports.com, the NCAA ruled Davis and Sam Cassell Jr. ineligible because of classes they took at Fitchburg (Mass.) Notre Dame Prep during the 2011-12 school year.

CBS reported that eight of their classmates who took the same classes were allowed to play college basketball last season.

Davis said Cassell Jr. has not retained the attorney.

Davis said his plan was to take out loans so that his son could attend Xavier this year as a non-scholarship student.

“I’m still applying for loans because Myles wants to stay at Xavier,” Davis told SNY.tv. “Although there were a lot of options, he wants to stay there to see if we could make it happen. It’s a tough situation.”

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GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- Growing up in Hempstead, N.Y., Tu Holloway had to rely on his grandmother, Mary, to put food in the refrigerator.

But the way he figures it, if he gets chosen by the Knicks or the Nets in the NBA Draft, Holloway will be able to do the providing in his household.

“I live with my grandmother so I’ll be definitely be eating out of her fridge but I’ll be the one putting the food in there this time,” the 6-foot Holloway said Wednesday after working out for the Knicks, who own the No. 48 pick in the Draft.

“I’m pretty sure everyone in my family is hoping the Knicks or the Nets take me.”

Holloway worked out in front of decision-makers from all 30 NBA teams last weekend at the Nets’ facility in New Jersey and has also been seen by the San Antonio Spurs, L.A. Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers. He has upcoming workouts with the Houston Rockets (Friday), the Golden State Warriors (Monday) and the Chicago Bulls (June 4) before he competes in the Chicago Pre-Draft Combine early next month.

But the Knicks are in need of a point guard or two to add depth to their rotation around Jeremy Lin, whom they hope to re-sign. Holloway worked out against Syracuse’s Scoop Jardine and former Iona point guard Scott Machado is due in Thursday morning.

“I know people [are] saying I could be a late second-round pick and I know the Knicks have the 48th pick,” Holloway said. “And I feel like they’re looking really seriously at drafting a point guard or two.”

No one doubts that Holloway, who left Long Island to attend Harmony Prep in Cincinnati to get more structure in his life and aid in his recruitment, is a winner.

His Xavier teams won 100 games in four seasons (25 wins per year), while making four NCAA Tournament appearances, including three Sweet 16s. He also won three A-10 regular season titles in four years. Last year he averaged 17.5 points and 4.9 assists for head coach Chris Mack.

But there are questions about his character and his size.

Holloway was involved in the messy Xavier-Cincinnati brawl last season and later said his team has “a whole bunch of gangsters.”

Now, he gets asked about those comments after every workout.

“It is what it is with the brawl,” Holloway said.

“I’m a clean-cut guy. I never had any legal issues, never had any off-campus issues. Teams ask you a lot of questions and they do their research on you and I’m pretty sure teams can see that I’m just a clean-cut guy.”

As for his diminutive size, he says people are always surprised to meet him in person for the first time.

“Wow, you’re Tu Holloway, you’re only 5-11 or 6 feet,” they tell him.

“I just laugh and say, ‘This is me. I’m only 6 feet. This is it.’”

Still, Holloway points to his 6-5 wingspan, the size of his hands and his leadership skills as “intangibles” that others don’t have.

“I feel like all of that outweighs me being 6 feet,” he said.

One veteran NBA scout believes Holloway will make the league and can help a team going forward.

“Second-round pick,” the scout told SNY.tv. “A tough, feisty guy. Better athlete than most people realize. Can get in the lane and proved in his career he could and would make big shots. Will make the league.”

With more workouts and the Chicago combine on the horizon, Holloway has a busy few weeks ahead.

But when it’s all over, he hopes he’s living in his old bedroom in Hempstead, finally able to fill up the fridge for grandma.

“I do know if the Knicks pick me,” he said, “I’m going to live in my bedroom in Hempstead in the house I grew up in.”

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“I’m thinking [about] UK, Arizona and Kansas,” he told SNY.tv Monday by phone.

No visits are currently set up for the junior transfer.

“Not right now,” he said. “I’m in the process of that. I’m also taking finals right now so I’m also trying to finish that up.”

Lyons said he had no favorites at the moment.

“I’m going into this with open eyes and see what the programs provide and see what they got,” he said.

Even though Arizona coach Sean Miller recruited Lyons to Xavier, he said Arizona doesn’t hold an edge.

“No, not at all,” he said.

He said he has spoken with Kentucky’s John Calipari and Kansas’ Bill Self and is “trying to set up some visits with them.”

A 6-foot-1 native of Albany, Lyons averaged 15.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season at Xavier.

“I’m gonna do whatever my teams me to do,” he said, “Provide energy, get everybody involved and play defense.”

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Chris Thomas

But now Davis is on the move to Manhattan, which begs the question, What does that mean for Chris Thomas?

“He is still committed to Xavier and will continue to be for now,” his grandmother, Latonia Smith, told SNY.tv by text Saturday night.

The talented, yet enigmatic Thomas is  the Rivals No. 1 shooting guard in the Class of 2013.

He is currently at Chipola (Fla.) College but he sat out this season after making previous stops in his home state of Colorado, Bowie (Md.) Princeton Day, Phoenix (Ariz.) Westwind Prep and South Kent (Conn.). He will suit up next season.

When he committed to Xavier earlier this month, Chipola assistant Pat Blake told SNY.tv : “I think it came down to his relationship with Coach Davis the past few years. With all the moving around that Chris has done, I think Coach Davis had been the consistent presence and consistent coach in his life.

“To me, there wasn’t really ever another school in the picture.”

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Oriakhi later confirmed a report by CBSSports.com that he plans to visit Missouri next weekend (April 13) and Kentucky the following weekend.

Kentucky, Xavier and Missouri are offering major playing time next season, Oriakhi told SNY.tv, and he is also considering North Carolina and Duke.

As for the visit with Calipari, Oriakhi said: “It went real well. Coach Calipari, he broke it down for me. He told me he wasn’t going to promise me anything, which I like. He’s not going to promise me anything.

“He would like for me to come in and lead right away and I definitely feel he was honest. He did present Kentucky very well. He talked about how the basktball players have a high GPA so he values education with his players. I think it really went well.”

Kentucky could lose its entire starting five to the NBA and is hoping to land some combination of Shabazz Muhammad, Nerlens Noel and Anthony Bennett.

“He just told me he has two players returning,” Oriakhi said of Calipari. “He has nobody.”

Asked if that was appealing, Oriakhi said, “That’s definitely appealing to know that he doesn’t have anybody coming back. It means major minutes are definitely there. It’s definitely appealing. Obviously, he’s the best at having guys one and done.”

Oriakhi also met with Mack, who is also offering playing time.

“They are not a big-time school but basically they just do as much as those big-time schools,” he said of Xavier. “He basically gave me the depth chart and said, ‘We don’t just want you, we need you.’

“They don’t really have any post players. They definitely need me. That’s a plus.”

Oriakhi also met Friday with Missouri’s Haith.

“He’s a down to earth guy,” Oriakhi said. “He said the same thing that Xavier said. They don’t just want me, they need me. They have one of the best playmakers in college basketball [in Phil Pressey].

“We have played with each other since the 8th grade.”

Asked if that would be a factor for him, Oriakhi said, “I can’t go to a school based on one person. I gotta do this for me. He definitely understands but he would love to play with me again.”

Oriakhi said he’s also considering North Carolina and Duke and reports that Duke was out are untrue.

“I never said they were out,” he said. I’m talking to North Carolina and Duke as well. I’m pretty sure visits are going to come in the future. I don’t want to  miss classes.”

Oriakhi said Washington was out basically because, “Why go that far?”

As far as when he may decide, Oriakhi said, “I really don’t have a timetable. It’s not something Im going to rush, either.

“Probably by the end of the month.”

Oriakhi also said he thinks both Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond will declare for the NBA Draft.

“In my opinion,” he said, “I think they’ll go.”

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Chris Thomas,

He will have three years of eligibility beginning in 2013.

“I think it came down to his relationship with Coach [Rasheen] Davis the past few years,” Chipola (Fla) College assistant Pat Blake told SNY.tv . “With all the moving around that Chris has done, I think Coach Davis had been the consistent presence and consistent coach in his life.

“To me, there wasn’t really ever another school in the picture.”

Thomas is currently at Chipola but he sat out this season after making previous stops in his home state of Colorado, Bowie (Md.) Princeton Day, Phoenix (Ariz.) Westwind Prep and South Kent (Conn.). He will suit up next season.

“With Chris, he really likes Xavier because the assistant coach, Rasheen Davis,” Latonia Smith, Chris’s grandmother, told SNY.tv, last fall. “He really likes the way Rasheen communicates with him and encourages him and is always in his corner, so he really likes that about him.”

Smith has always been a very talented wing player but has had his issues in the classroom and in terms of maturity.

“Chris can be as good as he wants to be,” South Kent coach Kelvin Jefferson told SNY.v last fall. “Chris can score on all three levels. Chris is going to get bigger and stronger and the nice thing about him is, just on top of scoring, Chris can play the point. You can move him over to the one and let him run the show. He’s a very unselfish player and he’s a kid that I think would do anything I asked him to do in order to win.”

He added: “He’s gotta raise his basketball IQ. He’s gotta be a better defender and we gotta spend a lot more time in the weight room but the sky is the limit for the kid.

“We’ve had some good players and if he continues to develop, he can be one of the best players that ever came through the gym here.”

The story was first reported by Scout.com.

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“Xavier, Missouri and Iowa State,” Latonia Smith, Thomas’ grandmother, told SNY.tv Thursday by text.

Asked if Kentucky or Seton Hall were involved, Smith added, “I haven’t spoken to a coach from those universities in months.”

One source close to the recruitment described Thomas as a “high-risk, high reward” type of player who could be a “pro if he handles his business off the court.”

Smith emphasized that the 6-foot-5 Thomas was focused on getting his grades in order at South Kent (Conn.) and on graduating this spring as his first priority.

He will then spend another year in prep school.

Xavier assistant Rasheen Davis was recently at South Kent to watch Thomas, and Smith previously said Davis and Thomas enjoyed a strong relationship.

“With Chris, he really likes Xavier because the assistant coach, Rasheen Davis,” Smith said in Novermber. “He really likes the way Rasheen communicates with him and encourages him and is always in his corner, so he really likes that about him.”

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Sean Miller

Instead, he ended up appearing to condone their bloody brawl Saturday with Cincinnati that left eight players on both teams suspended.

Now, the Arizona coach is backtracking. In a big way.

“I made comments following our win Saturday over Clemson regarding my former team, Xavier University,” he said in a statement. “These remarks were in response to a question as to whether I have been following Xavier’s on-the-court successes this season.  My comments were directed toward my admiration of their on-the-court toughness and their respective approach to giving great effort as a team.

“In no way was I condoning a fight.  At the time of my press conference, I was only responding to my belief in several players that I once coached and a head coach, Chris Mack, that I have great respect for.”

Miller was originally quoted in the Arizona Daily Star as appearing to defend the Xavier players for their part in the brawl.

After the game, Xavier’s Tu Holloway also referred to the Xavier players as “gangsters” and said he and his teammates were “zipping them up.”

“If Cincinnati tries to do what they did (Saturday) they’re going to get a fight,” Miller said after Arizona beat Clemson on Saturday, per the Daily Star.

“So I’m proud of those guys.” [...] “They have a chance to win it all,” Miller said. “It’s just such a great story. I’m really proud of those guys and I watch them any time that I can. No one’s going to bully those guys.”

He added he was not surprised about the brawl.

“Happens every game,” he told the Star. “I’m proud of those guys, I really am. I would fully expect there to be a fight.”

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Cincinnati’s Yancy Gates, Octavius Ellis and Cheikh Mbodj will each be suspended for a total of six games — meaning they are out until the Jan. 4 Big East game against Notre Dame — and Ge’Lawn Guyn for one game.

The suspensions will take effect immediately and will be concurrent with the NCAA-standard one-game mandated suspensions that would be applied to Gates and Mbodj for ejections from the game for fighting.

For Xavier, freshman Dezmine Wells, who had a mandatory one game suspension for being ejected from the game for fighting, has been given an additional three games by Xavier and will serve a four-game suspension.

Sophomore Landen Amos will miss four games. junior Mark Lyons two and senior Tu Holloway one.

“After reviewing all available video and giving due deliberation to the seriousness of this behavior, we have decided to take these actions,” said UC athletic director Whit Babcock. “We want to deal with this in a prompt and direct manner and send the message that we will not tolerate this from those who have the privilege of representing the University of Cincinnati.

“We have advised the Big East Conference of our decision and the measures we’re taking. I’m thankful for the full support of (UC) President (Gregory H.) Williams and (UC men’s basketball head coach) Mick Cronin.

“Further, I want to apologize to our students, alumni, faculty and staff, as well as to our fans and community. We hold our student-athletes to a very high standard and take very seriously the role that our entire department plays in reflecting the overall image of this great university. We will continue to work diligently to represent the Bearcat family and the Cincinnati community in a first-class manner. There will be zero tolerance for a repeat of this behavior.”

Said Xavier AD Mike Bobinski: ”I have been working closely with Atlantic 10 Conference Commissioner Bernadette McGlade and the A-10 staff since yesterday afternoon. We have all thoroughly reviewed the video evidence from a variety of sources. The Atlantic 10 fully supports our decisions on the suspensions announced today.

“We accept full responsibility for our part in the events that occurred at the end of our game yesterday. It was both embarrassing and disappointing and clearly did not reflect the standards of behavior we expect from our student-athletes. We resolve to do whatever is necessary to prevent an incident like this from occurring in the future. Additionally, we regret the poorly-chosen words our student-athletes used in the post-game press conference and have addressed the matter with them.”

Big East Commissioner John Marinatto issued this statement:

“The very unfortunate events that occurred in the final seconds of Saturday’s Cincinnati-Xavier basketball game have no place within intercollegiate athletics.  The University of Cincinnati has responded with swift, expeditious and appropriate action, which The Big East Conference fully supports.”

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