[PC_U_KNOW_98]

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=910 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width=585><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=3 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=storytext vAlign=top>NCH center off team
BY TOM GROESCHEN | ENQUIRER STAFF WRITER
North College Hill center Keenan Ellis has been removed from the basketball team for the remainder of the season, on the eve of NCH’s showdown with Oak Hill Academy (Va.) on Saturday.

NCH athletic director Joe Nickel said today that Ellis, a 6-foot-11 junior averaging 11.5 points a game, will not be with the Trojans the rest of the season but is still enrolled in school. Nickel would not say why Ellis is off the team.

Ellis was held out of last Sunday’s 100-68 win over Holmes (Ky.) and also missed NCH’s game vs. St. Xavier in December in another disciplinary action.

NCH (19-0) is rated No. 2 and Oak Hill (36-0) is No. 1 in the USA Today national rankings, entering Saturday’s 8 p.m. game at US Bank Arena. The game is sold out, with 16,500 capacity.

NCH star junior guard O.J. Mayo is expected to play despite a stress fracture in his foot, NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey said.

















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