By Chris Duncan
The Associated Press

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Louisville center Marvin Stone has been cleared to play by the NCAA, athletics director Tom Jurich said.

Louisville officials have been awaiting word for a week on whether the team's 6-foot-10 senior would lose his amateur status for accepting improper benefits from Mark Komara, his former AAU coach.

Donald Jackson, Stone's attorney, said that the NCAA upheld the case presented by Jackson and the school that Stone's relationship with Komara was established before Stone began earning recognition for his basketball ability.

The NCAA allows established family friends to provide benefits for student-athletes as long as the relationship began before the athlete gained status for his skills and did not develop as a result of the athlete's increased notoriety.

Jurich said the NCAA told the school it concluded Stone did nothing wrong.

"We received correspondence from the NCAA which confirmed that based on all the available information, there was a pre-existing relationship between the Stone family and Mark Komara and no violation has occurred," Jurich said. "The university continues to look at all sides of this, but based upon all information to date, there is no violation of amateurism rules and Marvin is cleared to play."

The school decided to bench Stone for Louisville's game with East Carolina last Saturday while the NCAA continued its inquiry. Stone will return to action Wednesday night, when No. 15 Louisville (20-5, 10-4 Conference USA) plays at DePaul (14-11, 6-8 Conference USA).

"Based on what I've been told, he will be on the floor," Jackson said. "It's as 100 percent as these things can be. We're thrilled."

Stone told The Courier-Journal he wanted to thank the people who supported him.

"I'm so happy to be back on the court ...," he said. "I can't wait to help our team get as deep as we can in the tournament."

Both the NCAA and Louisville were investigating Stone's relationship with Komara, a Huntsville, Ala., businessman.

Jackson said it dates to the early 1980s, when Komara met Marvin Stone's father through a softball league. Stone's father later worked for Komara.

The elder Stone died in January 1999, shortly after his son began playing at Kentucky.

Louisville coach Rick Pitino said Tuesday he didn't see anything improper about the Stone-Komara relationship, although he admitted last week he hardly knew Komara.

"Ten years from now, Mark Komara will be very close to Marvin Stone, regardless of whether he's playing a day in the NBA," Pitino said. "In the case of Marvin Stone and Mark Komara, he has a genuine relationship that is very sincere. They'll be friends for a long time after this."

Pitino said Tuesday afternoon he had not talked to Stone at length about his situation.

"I don't know what to tell him," Pitino said. "I'm telling him, 'You're going to probably play against DePaul, so be ready.' I tell him to keep his head up. But I don't know what's going to happen."

The Cardinals were already playing without leading rebounder Ellis Myles, who suffered a season-ending knee injury against Marquette last Thursday.

Despite the NCAA inquiry, Stone had continued to practice with the team. But anticipating Stone's absence for the rest of the season, Pitino had started revamping the team's style to accentuate its perimeter depth and quickness.

Now, Pitino has to alter the game plan once again.

"We're delighted to have Marvin back on this team," Pitino said Tuesday night. "Now, I can continue to work on my 37th different offensive set in the last 48 hours."

Pitino repeatedly expressed frustration with the timing of the NCAA's inquiry. Many of their questions stemmed from a chapter about Stone in the book "Sole Influence: Basketball, Corporate Greed and the Corruption of America's Youth," published in 2000.

Pitino said he learned that the NCAA approached Stone after getting "new information" from an informant he wouldn't name.

"Why it didn't happen four years ago is the question they have to answer," Pitino said. "They're going to say, 'New information.' I don't believe that."

Stone played for Kentucky from 1998 to 2001. He left Kentucky in December 2001, then transferred to Louisville in January 2002.

The NCAA never contacted Kentucky about Stone. Pitino said he didn't think the NCAA was targeting Louisville either.

"If I felt that way at all, I would resign," he said. "I would not want to be a part of an organization that's like that. I definitely don't think that's the case."

The Cardinals finish the regular season against Charlotte on Saturday. Louisville hosts the Conference USA tournament, beginning March 12.