An on-the-court altercation that occurred during a practice session has spilled into the court system for a University of Akron basketball player.

Khadim Gueye, a 7-foot, 245-pound redshirt sophomore center from Senegal, was charged with assault, a first-degree misdemeanor, after being arrested Thursday over a Dec. 16 incident in which he allegedly punched teammate Mark Kostelac, according to a police report.

Gueye, a transfer from the University of South Carolina, pleaded not guilty Friday in Akron Municipal Court.

Neither Gueye nor his attorney, Freeland D. Oliverio, would comment at the arraignment.

Neither player participated in practice Friday morning at Rhodes Arena. The UA department of athletics suspended Gueye indefinitely pending the outcome of his criminal proceeding, according to Athletics Director Larry Williams.

The police report, filed Dec. 17, accuses Gueye of repeatedly punching Kostelac, knocking out several of Kostelac's teeth and leaving him unconscious.

The incident was witnessed by coaches and several teammates.

According to the police report, Gueye "struck the victim multiple times unprovoked while the victim was not looking."

The report indicated that Kostelac might need both reconstructive and oral surgery to recover.

Kostelac, a Cleveland native, is 6-11 and weighs 250 pounds.

The report said Kostelac drove himself to Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfeld Heights for treatment.

Akron Municipal Court records show police charged Gueye with misdemeanor assault Thursday, nearly a month after the attack.

There was also a motion for a temporary restraining order filed against Gueye. Online court records did not show if the proposed order would protect Kostelac or others.

“Obviously, at this point in time, I have to let the process take its course,” UA coach John Groce said when asked about Gueye’s status with the team.

“At some point in time when it’s more appropriate, I can comment more,” Groce said, citing his players’ privacy.

He declined to comment about Kostelac’s absence. Kostelac did not play in games against Tennessee State and Nevada after the incident, but did play against Carnegie Mellon on Dec. 30.

Kostelac is averaging 5.6 minutes per game and 1.9 points off the bench. Gueye had to sit out the current season per NCAA transfer rules.