Giles dismissed from Oregon State

Beavers fire coach; interim shows ex-Jayhawk the door

? Oregon State interim basketball coach Kevin Mouton’s first act as Beavers’ coach on Monday was to kick C.J. Giles off the team.

Mouton, who took over for Jay John, who was fired, said former Kansas University forward Giles likely will transfer to a Div. II school or try to play pro basketball.

“He was dismissed, and that’s pretty much how we want to keep it,” Mouton told the Oregonian. The new interim coach had words with Giles before a Jan. 5 game at Arizona State over missed practices and a sometimes lackadaisical attitude.

“It wasn’t a discipline thing, or any rule he had recently broken, or anything like that,” said Mouton. “We just felt it was time for us to make a move, and go from there. He’s just going to move on and pursue his other options, be it the NBA or a Division II transfer.”

Giles, who played his high school ball in Seattle, read a statement to the Seattle Times over the telephone Monday. He said Mouton and athletic director Bob De Carolis told him he was off the team because they wanted a fresh start.

“In the past here I have not been perfect, but I have tried really hard, and I have gotten things together academically. I have also accepted responsibility when things have not been perfect,” Giles said.

“This came as a shock to me as no one had addressed this with me or let me know that I had done something that would cause me to be released from the team.”

Giles, who became eligible at the semester, averaged 6.3 points and 5.6 rebounds, logging an average of 18.1 minutes in 10 games.