Charges withdrawn against Drexel's Thomas

Criminal charges against suspended Drexel junior guard Derrick Thomas have been withdrawn, allowing him to rejoin the team Friday.

The university placed Thomas on interim suspension, pending the outcome of a police investigation, after he surrendered to Northwest Detectives on Feb. 28 on charges of simple assault and criminal trespass. His suspension was lifted Friday.

Thomas missed Drexel's regular-season finale, a 73-72 win at Old Dominion on Feb. 25 and didn't participate in the Colonial Athletic Association tournament, in which the Dragons lost to Virginia Commonwealth, 59-56, in Monday's championship at the Richmond Coliseum.

A 6-foot-3 junior, Thomas has started 26 games and appeared in 27 for the 27-6 Dragons, who will find out Sunday whether they have received an NCAA at-large bid.

Thomas is averaging 8.0 points and is second on the team in minutes, averaging 31.9 per game.

His presence was especially missed in the CAA final against VCU when the Dragons basically used a six-man rotation.

Drexel coach Bruiser Flint and school officials declined comment and referred all inquiries to the District Attorney's Office, which released the following statement:

"After speaking with the complainant in this case, the Commonwealth withdrew the charges against Derrick Thomas dependent upon Thomas meeting several conditions. Those conditions include attending anger management counseling, performing community service, continuing his education as permitted, and having no further contact with the complainant.

"If after four months the defendant fails to meet these conditions, the case will be refiled and he will be prosecuted. . . ."

Last week, a police source told The Inquirer that the incident took place in December at the La Salle campus. According to the source, Thomas came in voluntarily and was released on his own recognizance.