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Ex-Louisville guard Chris Jones faces charges of rape, sodomy

Ex-Louisville guard Chris Jones faces charges of rape, sodomy

It's now abundantly clear why Louisville dismissed starting point guard Chris Jones only two days after reinstating him from an indefinite suspension.

New disciplinary issues had arisen.

Jones pleaded not guilty on charges of raping one woman and sodomizing another Thursday morning. A Jefferson County judge released Jones on home incarceration in lieu of a $25,000 bond.

The alleged sexual assaults occurred Saturday night hours after Jones returned from suspension to lead Louisville to a victory against Miami. According to the arrest warrant obtained by the Louisville Courier-Journal on Thursday, one of the alleged victims was hospitalized Sunday. The women are 19 and 20.

Louisville initially suspended Jones indefinitely last week after a female student reportedly went to the police and accused the senior of sending her a threatening text message. In a statement released Thursday, the school said Jones was permitted to return to the team after surrendering his cell phone and agreeing to "strict internal disciplinary measures" that included a curfew.

Louisville dismissed Jones Sunday evening with a terse 21-word statement that at the time did not offer an explanation for the decision. In Thursday's statement, the school said it discovered Sunday afternoon that Jones had violated curfew the previous night and that there were unspecified accusations against him.

"While Chris is no longer a member of our team, we understand that the allegations are very serious," the Louisville statement read. "While we cannot comment on this ongoing investigation, we certainly expect our student-athletes to uphold certain standards, including their treatment of others. We have great respect for the legal process and our university procedures and we will cooperate as requested with this matter."

Jones' attorney told the judge his client has withdrawn from classes at Louisville to focus on the case.

Jones, one of the nation's top junior college prospects two years ago, was a two-year starter at point guard for Louisville prior to his dismissal. He averaged 13.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists for the Cardinals this season.

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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!