AMHERST - The relationship between University of Massachusetts men's basketball coach Bruiser Flint and junior forward Ajmal Basit had been rocky for a while, but it apparently reached its breaking point Wednesday, as Basit was dismissed from the team.

Ajmal Basit UMass file photo

Basit participated in practice on Tuesday, but the UMass media relations department issued a statement saying that Basit had been dismissed for conduct detrimental to the team.

"It had nothing to do with playing," Flint said. "It had to do with the relationship between me and Ajmal. It just didn't work out between me and him, that's the bottom line."

Basit is expected to transfer to another school to resume his basketball career, but he will have to sit out next season under NCAA transfer rules and will have one year of eligibility left after that. Flint said the he plans on helping Basit find a new school.

"I'm going to try to help the kid get a second opportunity somewhere," Flint said. "Ajmal was never late. He was a person that if I sent him somewhere to do something, he did it. He did well in school and overall he was a nice kid. But we just weren't good together. Anybody that works with people knows sometimes you have personality clashes.

"It was a tough decision because you impact somebody's life," Flint continued. "That was the hardest part for me. I told him to make sure he takes care of all the academic stuff so he can go somewhere next year."

Basit has an unlisted telephone number and was unavailable to comment.

He had been averaging 4.8 points and 4.0 rebounds, but his minutes have fallen off since he asked to be taken out of the starting lineup prior to the Minutemen's game against Davidson. He had nine points and seven rebounds in his final game against St. Joseph's on Sunday.

Senior center Lari Ketner said the Minutemen didn't let Basit's dismissal become a distraction.

"We were going to come out and play hard regardless. We need all these games. Every game is important from here on out," Ketner said. "We don't really know the situation with the Ajmal thing. I'm sure guys might have thought about it. He was my friend, I'm sorry to see him go."

Basit's problems began before even arriving at UMass. Originally recruited by John Calipari, the St. Anthony's (Jersey City, N.J.) product publicly wavered on whether to honor his commitment when Flint took the helm.

He eventually decided to attend UMass after all, but saw limited playing time as a freshman averaging 4.4 points and 3.8 rebounds.

The high point of Basit's career came last year as he was valuable as a sixth man averaging 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds, including a 19-rebound game against Rhode Island.

UMass fans will likely remember Basit for his flamboyant celebration antics after scoring baskets or blockeing shots.

The dismissal leaves UMass with four players in the center and power forward positions: Ketner, Chris Kirkland, Kitwana Rhymer and seldom-used Anthony Oates.

From a recruiting standpoint, the Minutemen now have two scholarships to offer prospective recruits.

Basit is the first Minuteman to be removed from the team since John Calipari kicked Mike Williams off the roster for a violation of undisclosed team rules during the 1994-95 season.

AMHERST -- The tension between UMass junior forward Ajmal Basit and head coach Bruiser Flint was not a secret. So Wednesday's announcement that Flint had dismissed Basit for "conduct detrimental to the team" was no surprise.

Basit & Flint Christopher Evans, MassLive, photo

The strained relationship between Basit and Flint has been evident for several weeks, but Flint would not give a specific reason or point to a specific incident that led to the dismissal. He stressed that the decision was based on only his own relationship with Basit, "We just weren't good for each other."

The Springfield Union-News reported that Flint's decision to remove Basit came after the team's Tuesday night practice. Flint and Basit had a verbal confrontation while watching game films, according to Union-News reports, and the decision to dismiss Basit followed.

While Flint said the decision stemmed from conflicts between Basit and him, he stopped short of saying there was no friction between Basit and his teammates. "I don't want to get into that [his relationship with players]. The decision was based on his relationship with me."

Basit's teammates were quiet regarding the dismissal. Following the Minutemen 64-46 defeat of St. Bonaventure, senior center Lari Ketner said only that "We [the players] really don't what happened. He was my friend. I'm sorry to see him go." Junior guard Monty Mack said he "haven't really thought about it."

Flint had no unkind words for Basit. "I'll say this," Flint said, "Ajmal was never late. He was responsible. He did well in school. Overall, I think he's a nice kid. I'm going to try to help him." Basit has one year of college eligibility remaining and could play for another school after sitting out next season.

Basit will remain on scholarship for the remainder of the season, according the UMass athletics department.

Basit started the first eight games of the season before being replaced by junior forward Chris Kirkland in the starting lineup. Since being replaced in the starting lineup, Basit has come off the bench averaging 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds a game in the last 14 contests.

AMHERST - University of Massachusetts coach Bruiser Flint dismissed Ajmal Basit from the squad before last night's 64-46 win over St. Bonaventure, citing a strained relationship between himself and the junior forward from Brooklyn.

In a prepared statement delivered to the press 90 minutes before the game, Flint cited conduct detrimental to the team. But afterward, he said his move was based solely on the fact the two did not get along.

''I'm going to help the kid as much as I possibly can,'' said Flint. ''It just didn't work out between me and him; that's the bottom line. I'm going to try to help him get second opportunities somewhere.

''I'm going to say this, and I've said this to my team: Ajmal was never late. Ajmal was somewhat responsible in terms of if I sent him somewhere to do something, he did it. And he did well in school. But we just weren't good together.''

Moments before the game, rumors swirled regarding what prompted Flint to dismiss Basit, who in three years has been known as much for his on-court gyrations as his untapped potential.

Flint confirmed that the dismissal occurred after Tuesday's practice but denied that it followed a heated confrontation with Basit, prompting the coach to ask him to leave. ''We just had a discussion about our relationship,'' said Flint.

Flint said he spoke yesterday with Basit, who apologized to him for how their relationship had gone. The coach denied there had been any physical confrontation between Basit and his teammates.

Flint added that he spoke to Basit's mother and said Basit will finish the semester at UMass.

Basit, who graduated from high school power St. Anthony's in Jersey, City, N.J., will remain on scholarship for the rest of the season. But his dismissal ends an often tenuous relationship with Flint.

When Flint took over from John Calipari three seasons ago, Basit was the only one of the Minutemen's four freshmen who appeared to have doubts about fulfilling his commitment to attend the school. There were reports he considered transferring to Seton Hall, but he enrolled at Amherst.

During the latter portion of his freshman season, Basit was so bothered by his decreased playing time that he did consider transferring. Last season Flint said he seriously considered asking Basit to transfer at the time, but the two ironed out their differences.

However, this year Basit struggled while starting the first eight games and was replaced by Chris Kirkland. Coming off the bench, he averaged 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14 games.

When asked about the dismissal, St. Anthony's coach Bob Hurley said he had spoken to Basit and his mother and would help the junior transfer. Hurley added that Basit is an emotional player and probably would have fared better with a more experienced coach.

''Is Ajmal wrong? Probably, but he was put into a situation where he had an inexperienced coach,'' said Hurley. ''He's a very emotional kid. During the course of the season, I noticed how he lost his job when the team was struggling and no one else lost a spot.''

Flint countered, ''If Bobby Hurley was really concerned, he would have been calling me about Ajmal before now.''

Following last night's game, UMass players declined comment on the matter, saying they did not know much about Flint's decision.

On Monday, when asked about some of the factors which have led to the team's subpar (11-12) season, senior center Lari Ketner said, ''It's a lot of stuff off the court, not so much on the court, that are the reasons why we haven't met the expectations the way we were supposed to. It's been just players against coaches, players against players, and stuff like that.''

Asked last night how he felt about Basit's dismissal, Ketner said, ''He's my friend and I'm sorry to see him go, but we just have to keep our heads up and not make it a total loss, just play hard.''

Flint declined to say whether relationships between Basit and other players were strained: ''I don't want to get into that.''

AMHERST - UMass is a basketball team with more than its share of odd personalities and conflicts.

That burden was lessened a bit yesterday when the administration announced prior to the Minutemen's game against St. Bonaventure that coach Bruiser Flint had dismissed junior forward Ajmal Basit from the team.

Basit and Flint have feuded for the better part of two years over Basit's flamboyant style and what the coaching staff considers the forward's disruptive influence on his teammates.

The conflict between coach and player reached the breaking point following Tuesday's practice, when Flint and Basit engaged in a particularly strong argument during a team video session.

Flint finally told Basit to leave, apparently for good.

``(Flint) told me about it at 12:30 (Wednesday morning),'' UMass athletic director Bob Marcum said last night.

``(Flint) lives close by where I am, so he came over, we sat down and talked about it.''

Basit will be allowed to keep his scholarship for the rest of this season.

According to Marcum, however, the school is not bound to offer Basit scholarship money for next year, should he choose to return to UMass to complete his degree without playing basketball.

Either way, the Minutemen now have another scholarship to offer a prospective recruit for next year.

``Knowing our coaching staff, they'll do anything they can to help Ajmal relocate,'' said Marcum.

Marcum, admittedly, has been bothered by some of Basit's on-court antics over the years.

``It's obvious that it must have bothered (Flint) more than it bothered us,'' Marcum said.

The coaching staff was especially bothered after watching a tape of the Minutemen's game against UConn. The game featured Basit mugging for the camera by licking the palm of his hand and his fingers after making a basket.

That is the type of behavior that Flint has been at odds over with Basit since the flashy forward's freshman year.

``I think he's a good person, but this was not a good fit between me and him,'' Flint said in a prepared statement.

``I just want to wish him well and hope the best for him.''

Basit's play deteriorated to the point where, eight games into this season, he asked Flint to return him to his sixth man role of last season.

Basit had been effective in that capacity in 1997-98, when he was considered to be the second best sixth man in the Atlantic 10 Conference, behind Xavier's James Posey.

Basit has not been able to recapture that form over the last 14 games, when he averaged 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in limited time behind Chris Kirkland, the new starter at power forward, and sophomore Kitwana Rhymer.

Flint's decision to release Basit from the team was supported by most members of the team, according to a member of the staff.

This month also marks the four-year anniversary of guard Michael Williams' dismissal from the UMass team, following an ongoing problem with then-coach John Calipari.

As of now, I don't know exactly why Ajmal Basit was dismissed from the men's basketball team. I do know about Bruiser Flint and Basit's tumultuous on-court relationship over the past three seasons. It has been one of a mutual lack of respect for one another.

Basit never conformed to Flint, the authority figure. His post-basket/rebound celebrations have become notorious among the coaching staff. Flint tried forcefully to eliminate these antics from Basit's repertoire. It never happened. It has been suggested that Basit's tirades have negatively impacted both the play and attitudes of his teammates.

On the other hand, Flint often was not willing to give Basit his rightful due after a solid performance. Flint has on occasion pointed out the negative aspects of Basit's contributions, usually concerning his behavior, before the positive.

The fact that neither man was willing to swallow some pride and adapt to the other may be the single most outstanding factor in the termination of their relationship.

The question of the hour is this: was it absolutely necessary to remove a valuable contributor to the team with only six regular season games remaining?

Flint may have a perfectly reasonable explanation for the move, and I would then support him 100 percent. But if the fact that they could not get along was the only justification, then the dismissal was unwarranted and will in fact be detrimental to the team's future success.

By Flint's own admission, Basit was coming off two of his more productive outings of the season. The junior forward scored seven points and grabbed three rebounds against Rhode Island. He then posted nine points and seven rebounds against St. Joseph's.

These numbers by themselves may not bowl anyone over, but the enthusiastic play and hustle exhibited in these contests has not been seen out of him recently.

Much greater numbers were expected out of the Brooklyn native, who was plucked by Bob Hurley Sr. to play for his prestigious St. Anthony's High School team in New Jersey.

Basit was expected to be an integral player on the UMass squad, especially entering this season, when he was anointed starter in place of the departed Tyrone Weeks.

The inside combination of Basit and Ketner could have been lethal to the opposition. Both post players are excellent shot-blockers who could have created a virtual road-block on defense, not to mention the fact that they would have dominated on the offensive end together. That didn't happen either, because there was simply not enough room for them - mentally, if not physically.

Both players wanted to be the star big-man for UMass and overcome the vast shadow of Marcus Camby. But they failed to play exceptionally well together as a unit.

Partially as a result of lack of chemistry with both Ketner and the coaches, Basit was "mutually" removed from the starting line-up by Flint before a loss to Davidson on Dec. 29.

Chris Kirkland's play as a starter at Basit's vacated power- forward slot has more than justified Flint's decision. However, pushing Basit to the middle of the bench behind the talented but raw Kitwana Rhymer was more debatable.

After Ketner graduates this year, Basit would have been the logical choice to supplant him as starting center, at least until Rhymer proved to be more qualified for the job.

Not only will that not happen now, but the Minutemen will be forced to attempt extending their season with post- men who clearly do not have the scoring ability or experience that Basit now possesses.

Flint insists that he did not even consider Basit's value to the team in regards to basketball when he made this fateful decision. That would lead one to believe that this move was made out of virtual necessity.

Knowing Flint, this writer would highly doubt that the coach would act in an arbitrary manner without realizing the ramifications of his actions, as he always has gone out of his way to maintain positive relationships with his players.

At the same time, if Flint were to consider the basketball aspect of banishing Basit, he would realize that other than Rafael Cruz and Rhymer, no bench player has given him any sign of being a factor on offense, a category this team is lacking in.

In closing, this piece is not to accuse either Flint or Basit of any personal wrongdoing, other than the fact that they could not get along because they never saw eye-to-eye.

It is also to say that Basit will be missed by some supporters of the program, because of the fearless and unrestricted emotion that he brought onto the court. These assets may be fully appreciated somewhere down the line.

AMHERST - The team left the Mullins Center court after practice Tuesday night, off to watch game film and unaware that the storm was about to hit shore.

The University of Massachusetts men's basketball team was seeking a no-Winn situation - a way to keep lightning-quick St. Bonaventure guard Tim Winn from disrupting UMass with his ball-hawking. Instead, coach Bruiser Flint soon found himself in what he saw as a no-win situation with junior forward Ajmal Basit, whose dismissal Tuesday raised the issue of team chemistry, not between players, but between a player and his coach.

Here was a case of two people who just couldn't get along, and Flint talked as if the relationship may never have been meant to be, despite nearly three years of uneasy trying between a Generation X player and a coach whose values reflect someone much older than 33.

"Ajmal is not a bad kid, but our relationship just wasn't good," Flint said after the Basit-less Minutemen had beaten the Bonnies 64-46 Wednesday. "It was deeper than just basketball. Some guys, you just don't get along with."

Flint has always thought one of Basit's problems was immaturity, and he disliked the player's flamboyance on the court not only because it was distracting (and because Flint would rather see less of that in basketball, anyway) but because he didn't think Basit could back it up with consistent play.

But the 6-foot-9 Basit, who has not been available for comment since the dismissal, thought flamboyance was not only part of his game, but his personality.

To some degree, they were both right. Flint, who said Basit had known before Tuesday that his roster spot was becoming precarious, tried to bend a little last season. And Basit never publicly criticized his coach, even though his displeasure with decreased playing time was no secret.

But long before Tuesday night's verbal confrontation between the two provided the final straw, it was clear Flint felt Basit's influence was becoming disruptive to a team that has rarely meshed on the court this season. The real surprise may not have been that Basit was thrown off, but that he'd never been punished before.

There is irony in the decision because had Flint not been promoted to replace John Calipari, Basit might not have come to UMass at all. Recruited from St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City, N.J. - where his team won the mythical 1996 national prep championship - Basit chose UMass but began reconsidering after Calipari left for the New Jersey Nets.

St. Anthony's coach Bob Hurley, never a strong UMass supporter in a recruitment process that also included Seton Hall, then made a comment that indicated Basit's unpredictable nature.

"I don't care what he does," Hurley said. "I just wish he'd say the same thing two days in a row."

But encouraged by Winston Smith, another New Jersey recruit, Basit came to UMass after all. An acceptance of Flint as coach was considered part of the reason; in fact, UMass athletic director Bob Marcum refused to release Basit from his signed letter of intent because he felt Basit was comfortable with Flint.

Basit then considered leaving after his freshman year, but stayed long enough to become a starting forward this season, an important role to him. But after an uneven start, Flint said Basit suggested that Chris Kirkland start in his place, giving him a chance to spark the team off the bench as he had done last year.

Kirkland flourished in the new role, but Basit did not, although he had played well in the two games just before his dismissal. Hurley recently spoke sympathetically of Basit, suggesting a more experienced coach might have handled him differently.

Flint's decision represents, in some ways, a watershed in his three-year career. Basit is the first player he's dismissed from the team, and the first to be booted from UMass since Calipari dumped Mike Williams almost exactly four years ago.

Flint's comments reflected the complex nature of the situation.

"Overall, I think Ajmal is a pretty nice kid," Flint said.

The coach has pledged to help Basit in any way he can, including finding another school - which Flint said is easier when the player is 6-9, even if he has only one eligible year left.

In the meantime, Basit is expected to continue his academic work at UMass until the end of this year, and all academic services remain open to him in that time.

Flint was once told that turning Basit into a productive, reliable cog in the UMass machine would prove to be one of his greatest accomplishments.

The coach took on a baleful, unconvinced expression.

"I hope so," he said finally.

But this week's events proved that when the chemistry is bad, even time and rebounding potential aren't always enough to carry it through.

Former University of Massachusetts forward Ajmal Basit yesterday echoed coach Bruiser Flint's assertion that personality clashes between the two led to the junior's dismissal, and he said he will complete the semester at the school, then look to transfer.

''Basically, me and Bruiser had differences throughout the whole year, and we came to a mutual decision that it was best for me to leave the team,'' said Basit in a phone interview. He denied reports that he had altercations with teammates or that he and Flint engaged in a confrontation leading to the dismissal Tuesday.

''It was not my teammates and I didn't get along,'' said Basit. ''Me and my teammates were really cool. Even Bruiser and the coaching staff supported me. It's not like anything happened. It just didn't work out.''

Basit said he and teammate Lari Ketner did engage in an argument before the game against Boston College, but ''It was like an argument players get into before a game. It was no big deal.''

When asked about the reports of a Basit-Ketner confrontation yesterday, Flint said, ''I don't know anything about that.''

Basit said his discussion with Flint concerning their relationship came after Tuesday's practice. ''It was just stuff about how we saw things,'' said Basit. ''We exchanged a few words, and that's when we decided to part ways.

''It's difficult for me. I tried to stick it out, but we decided not to go any further. I hope things work out for both parties. I'm going to finish my academic semester here and then explore other options.''

Basit reportedly had considered transferring to Seton Hall when Flint took over for John Calipari three seasons ago.

A player known for his on-court gestures and emotions, Basit excelled as one of UMass's best rebounders. Yet over the latter portion of his freshman season, he did consider transferring because of reduced playing time.

Flint later said he considered asking Basit to transfer at the time, but the two settled their differences, and Basit's sophomore performance earned him a starting nod this season. But he struggled and was replaced in the lineup after eight games.

Asked what he learned from his tenure at UMass and if he would do it over again, Basit said, ''I'm not going to talk about the past. It was just a bad fit.''

Basit said he will continue to follow the team. ''I wish them the best and I hope they finish the rest of the year strongly,'' he said. ''If my absence will spark them and help them move forward and go on and win the Atlantic 10 championship, I hope it can.''

Meanwhile, Bob Hurley, Basit's high school coach at St. Anthony's of Jersey City, N.J., said he would try to help his former player transfer. He said he left phone messages with Rutgers and Seton Hall and added that a Division 1 school in New England had expressed interest in Basit.

On Wednesday, Hurley said he had concerns about Basit attending UMass after Calipari's departure because Flint was a young coach and Hurley believed Basit would fare better under a more experienced mentor.

Flint said Hurley had not expressed concern to him about Basit's well-being since Basit arrived at the school and did not ask about Basit when the two coaches saw each other during recruiting.

Hurley confirmed he had not made contact with the school, saying the rapport ended three years ago when he asked UMass to release Basit from his commitment.

''We got off on bad footing,'' said Hurley, ''but understand when Ajmal came home for the holidays or semester breaks, he worked out in my gym and we talked about things then, and I had regular conversations with Ajmal's mother. I've been coaching for 32 years. As far as my players are concerned, I know what my 1973 team is doing.''

Hurley reiterated that he thought Basit should have been released from his commitment to UMass. ''I think it's unfair for coaches not to be forced to honor contracts,'' he said. ''They woo these players who want to play for them, then leave.''

The news of Ajmal Basit's dismissal from the UMass basketball team did not hit his old high school coach well.

But really, said Bob Hurley of St. Anthony's High School in Jersey City. Is there anyone out there who knew Basit and still thought the result would be any different?

``This thing traces back to when John Calipari left,'' Hurley said yesterday, one day after Basit was booted from the UMass squad by coach Bruiser Flint. ``We asked that our kid be released from his letter of intent, and he wasn't. There are too many times that a kid goes to a school because of the head coach, and then the head coach leaves. This kid was very emotional as a high school kid.

``So three years go by, and I never have a conversation up there with anyone about him, and now they say he's been a problem since his freshman year. And so now his reputation has been tarnished, and the reputation of St. Anthony's has been tarnished, and we have to find another place for him to go.

``The NCAA allows these coaches under long-term contracts to constantly bounce all over the place, but when it's a 17-year-old kid, he gets locked in.''

Hurley, who initially encouraged Basit to accept a scholarship offer from Seton Hall three years ago, has contacted people on the Seton Hall and Rutgers coaching staffs in an attempt to find a one-year home for Basit.

Unlike Flint, who is fairly confident that Basit will be able to find another program, Hurley is skeptical.

He also knows that Basit will need a far different environment from the one he is leaving.

``Bruiser is way too young and emotional, and that didn't help the situation, I'm sure,'' said Hurley. ``What I'm looking for now is a man who has some empathy for children.''

If nothing else, Hurley and Flint appear to agree on this much - Basit is immature.

Flint dismissed Basit on Tuesday, after they had one last verbal confrontation during a video session. The incident came a day after Flint felt compelled to silence a disruptive Basit during another video session. Overall, the coaching staff has found Basit to be disruptive with his teammates.

The level of Basit's play also deteriorated this season. The forward was dissatisfied enough with his own play to request a return to his sixth man role, eight games into the season. Basit continued to struggle, with the exception of the two games leading up to his dismissal.

``Hurley called (Wednesday) and said to Geoff (Arnold, a UMass assistant coach) that this all started when we benched him, which wasn't exactly how things happened,'' said Flint.

That didn't stop Hurley from criticizing a college program he clearly dislikes.

``I've coached for 30 years, and worked as a probation officer all along, so I'm used to dealing with kids and situations, and Ajmal was not what you would call a problem,'' said Hurley. ``He was an emotional kid. But maintenance-wise, on a scale of 1 to 10 he was probably a 7. I would yell at him, he'd stop whatever he was doing, and show up the next day trying to do whatever he could to get back into your graces. They should have let his mother know if this was such a problem. But I don't care what UMass does. I have to find a place for this kid to go.

``Isn't it funny how young coaches have personality problems with players? The first game that Bruiser coached as a head coach was the first game that Ajmal had in a UMass uniform.

``I've got 20 kids playing in college now, but from the beginning I called this. He was very upset when I talked to him the other day. He's been upset about his opportunity to play. It's too bad. This is a kid, in my mind, who can play in Europe, so we have to jump-start the situation. They told me things like how he threw his jersey into the crowd when he was a freshman. Well, if you're looking back at something that happened two years ago, then there's a problem. I can't tell you what happened even a year ago.

``I'm just confused that his mother doesn't know more about what's happened with him after three years. But when I told him that he shouldn't go there, it put up a wall that blocked communication between us for the next three years.''