UConn guard charged with evading police is granted probation

VERNON, Conn. (AP) UConn guard James Bouknight has been accepted into a probation program designed to leave him without a criminal record in connection with a September traffic accident.

The freshman, who faced charges including evading responsibility and driving without a license, was accepted Monday into the state's accelerated rehabilitation program for first-time offenders.

Police say Bouknight smelled of alcohol and fled from an officer after driving another student's car into a road sign near campus early in the morning of Sept. 27.

Bouknight served a three-game suspension and is expected to play Thursday when UConn (2-1) faces Buffalo in the Charleston Classic.

Under the terms of his probation, Bouknight must stay out of trouble for a year and pay the car's owner for the damage to the vehicle.

Outside the courtroom, Bouknight apologized and told reporters he's learning to be ''the student, best athlete, best citizen I can be.''

---

More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25