Averett player recovering after campus attack

Averett University freshman Mike Ferrell, 19, a guard on the men’s basketball team and a Halifax County High School graduate, has been moved to an intensive care unit at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., a hospital spokesperson said Saturday afternoon.

Ferrell was injured when teammate Rakeem Davis, 19, a freshman forward, attacked him in a hallway of the Grant Center during a team practice Friday, according to team and university officials.

The hospital, which is verified by the American College of Surgeons as a Level I adult trauma center, would not release any further information about Ferrell’s condition. Relaying a message from Ferrell’s parents, Averett Sports Information Director Drew Wilson said Saturday night that Ferrell is conscious and expected to make a full recovery.

Lt. M.T. White Jr. of the Danville Police Department confirmed Saturday that a student attacked another student Friday at the Grant Center on Averett University’s North Campus. He was unable to identify the students involved, but said one student was transported to Danville Regional Medical Center and later transported to Wake Forest.

Possible criminal charges are pending the outcome of an investigation being conducted by the police department, White said.

Davis has been suspended from the team indefinitely and “removed from campus,” Wilson said. He was unable to elaborate or disclose Davis’ whereabouts.

“He has been cooperative with the authorities,” Wilson said.

Davis’ bio was removed from Averett’s team Web site Saturday and his playing number was reassigned.

While still officially enrolled at Averett, Davis is subject to the university’s student judiciary process, which will likely unfold early this week and may result in expulsion from the school.

“Obviously we take an incident like this very seriously,” Averett University Public Relations Director Susan Huckstep said in a news release. “We will be looking into the situation to determine what happened. Right now our immediate thoughts and prayers are with the players and their families. We will provide more details as they become available.”

Many Averett players wore socks featuring the letters “MF” and the number 34, Ferrell’s number, scribbled in marker during Saturday’s game against Christopher Newport University.

Davis, of Chesapeake, appeared in 20 games for the Cougars this season. He averaged 1.5 points and one rebound per game. The 6-4, 211-pound Ferrell, who has appeared in 13 games, is averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

“This morning he spoke to his mom about today’s game, even sharing some of the game plans,” Wilson said. “He also asked her to wish the team well.”

Averett hosts Shenandoah University at 4 p.m. today in the Cougars’ regular season home finale and concludes its regular season Friday at N.C. Wesleyan.