Ferentz’s son, 2 others spent night in jail

Three 19-year-old Iowa football players, including Coach Kirk Ferentz’s son, were arrested for public intoxication after an incident early this morning in downtown Iowa City.

James Ferentz, Tyler Christensen and Zachary Derby were arrested by the University of Iowa Public Safety, for public intoxication around 2 a.m. this morning near Old Capitol Mall. All three were taken to the Johnson County Jail and were released this morning.

All three are suspended for the rest of spring football by Coach Ferentz, father of James Ferentz.

“It was very disappointing to learn of the behavior of our three players last night,” Ferentz said in a statement. “Short term, all three will be suspended for the remainder of spring practice and they will be expected to fulfill significant community service obligations the next several weekends.  Additional action will be determined at a later point and return to the team will be based on additional criteria.”

Ferentz and Derby, son of former Iowa linebacker John Derby, pleaded not guilty to public intoxication charges. Both were released from the Johnson County Jail after posting $300 bond and both have bench trials set for May 8. 

Christensen, 19, pleaded guilty this morning to public intoxication and fifth-degree criminal mischief. His fines and court costs totaled $489.

According to UI police complaints, Christensen, a red-shirt freshman fullback from Belmond, approached an off-duty officer wanting to fight. When on-duty officers arrived, Christensen had slurred speech, red bloodshot eyes and admitted drinking at Iowa City’s Fieldhouse bar but refused to take a blood-alcohol test. Christensen then admitted to UI police he had broken the arms off of a parking gate at the mall’s entrance. UI police then called Iowa City Police, who arrested Christensen for fifth-degree criminal mischief.

Ferentz, 19, was heard yelling and observed stumbling upon contact with a police officer, according to the complaint. His blood-alcohol level was .16, more than twice the legal limit for a impaired driver.

It’s Ferentz’s second alcohol-related arrest. Last fall he pleaded guilty to underage possession of alcohol in University Heights. He was fined $314.

Derby, a 19-year-old red-shirt freshman tight end from Iowa City, joined Christensen in wanting to fight an off-duty police officer, according to the complaint. Derby’s blood-alcohol level was .211 before the arrest.

Iowa expects APR leap later this month

Fred Mims, Iowa associate athletics director

IOWA CITY — Iowa’s men’s basketball program anticipates a leap in its Academic Progress Rate when the NCAA releases those figures later this month. But that number likely will drop next year.

According to projected figures, Iowa’s men’s basketball APR should jump to 964 from 944. Those figures, which were released Thursday during the school’s Presidential Committee on Athletics meeting, are a five-year high for the basketball program. The NCAA calculates each school’s APR by tracking eligibility, retention and graduation rates for scholarship student-athletes. Each athlete can earn up to two points each semester, one by staying eligible and another by staying with the institution.

Each school is required to score 925 or become subject to penalties, including lost scholarships.

Four Iowa players are leaving the program at the end of this semester, which will impact the program negatively. But all appear to be in good academic standing, according to Fred Mims, Iowa’s associate athletics director for compliance and student services.

“It will be a little hit but not anything significant, unless we have a bunch of them becoming ineligible,” Mims said. “We don’t see that because everybody is doing pretty well.”

Freshman guard Anthony Tucker, who was ruled ineligible for the spring semester, could help the program’s APR if he regains eligibility.  

“The only thing he lost was an eligibility point for spring,” Mims said.

During the initial report in 2005, Iowa’s men’s basketball scored 926, barely better than the bottom requirement. It has increased steadily over the last five years.

“The APR is a four-year rolling average, so one year you can be down,” Mims said. “As long as you keep the average up, you should be fine.”

Every other Iowa sport expects to stay well above the NCAA threshold of 925. Football anticipates a drop from 950 to 946. Men’s cross-country and women’s golf anticipate perfect scores of 1,000.