Brunner Leaves Hoyas For Fresno St.

Freshman guard Kenny Brunner, who led Georgetown in scoring, steals and assists this season before "emotional difficulties" prompted him to leave school last week, has enrolled at Fresno State.

Brunner was admitted to his new school Tuesday, just beating a deadline that will allow him to play for Jerry Tarkanian's team at the end of the 1998 fall semester.

Brunner averaged 11.2 points, 7 assists and 2.7 steals in 19 games for the Hoyas before being sent home from a road trip before a game at Seton Hall on Feb. 3. Georgetown released a statement saying Brunner was "experiencing some emotional difficulties" not related to the team or academics.

However, the stress of being the team's star player was too much for Brunner, who was expected to have a smaller role with the Hoyas before they lost several key players.

Victor Page turned pro, Ed Sheffey was arrested and later left school, freshman Anthony Perry is academically ineligible and centers Jahidi White and Ruben Boumtje Boumtje are both injured. Georgetown (12-10) is in danger of finishing with a losing record for the first time since 1972-73, coach Thompson's first season.

"A lot of pressures were aimed at one person, and you can't do that," Brunner told the Fresno Bee. "... You can't be anywhere where you're not happy. A lot of hard work goes into it. When you lose the love for the game, it's time to step away, and I'm not ready to retire."

A Georgetown spokesman said Thompson had no comment on Brunner's transfer.

Brunner, from Compton, Calif., originally committed to attend Fresno State out of high school, but asked to be released from his letter of intent because of the point-shaving allegations at the university, saying he didn't "feel comfortable in the situation."

The FBI and a federal grand jury have been investigating the allegations, which centered on players Chris Herren and Dominick Young. Both have denied point-shaving.

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