2 South Carolina basketball players arrested

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) South Carolina freshman basketball player Eric Cobb was charged with assault Thursday for shooting a BB pellet gun at an occupied car.

He and teammate Jamall Gregory also were charged for property damage in connection with the shootings. Police said no one was injured. All the charges are misdemeanors.

The two were taken into custody by the Columbia Police Department and booked into a Richland County jail. They were released on bond.

Cobb and Gregory were among five players indefinitely suspended Tuesday, less than two hours before the Gamecocks' 88-66 win over High Point in the NIT. Also suspended were guards Marcus Stroman and TeMarcus Blanton and forward Chris Silva.

South Carolina coach Frank Martin described the suspensions as a ''conduct issue'' in a statement. When asked about them following the High Point win, he would not discuss the matter and had ''no idea'' when the suspended players would return.

On Thursday, Martin said in a statement he would not comment further on Cobb and Gregory because this is now a ''legal matter.'' He said the five suspensions remain in place. His team hosts Georgia Tech on Monday.

Cobb, 19, is a 6-foot-9 first-year player. He was charged with one count of malicious injury to private property along with third-degree assault and battery. Police said that on March 7 he shot the pellet gun at a car, causing damage to the right rear passenger door.

Gregory, 21, is a 6-2 guard. He is charged with three counts of malicious injury to person property and one of count of malicious injury to real property. He is alleged to have used a BB gun to damage three cars March 9. Police say two of the cars sustained damage to windows while a third had damage to its door. Gregory also used the gun to damage the side of a building a few days earlier, police said.