NEW YORK - The day after the worst day in St. John's basketball history was filled with odd scenes.

In campus offices, administrators drafted a "take none of the blame" strategy to put distance between the program and a sex scandal that rocked it Thursday and could ultimately cost three starters their scholarships.

"The appropriate checks were made," AD Dave Wegrzyn said of the coaching staff, "and poor decisions were made to circumvent them. The proper policies and procedures and past practices we've always had at St. John's University were followed."

In the basketball offices, interim head coach Kevin Clark attempted to soothe the hopeless feelings of the eight remaining eligible players from the 14-man roster and gird them to complete what will surely rank as one of the program's worst seasons. And on the walkways of the Queens campus, students chatted about a rumor of open tryouts that might be the key to living a dream. "I'm going to play basketball in the Big East," said Edward Reilly, a 6-4 junior.

Those tryouts won't take place, but hearings conducted by the Office of Student Affairs will. An administration that already has booted senior Grady Reynolds for twice violating the school's Code of Conduct will ask a panel of faculty and students to expel senior Abe Keita and sophomore Elijah Ingram. "Normally the hearing is within 10 days," explained Jody Fisher, university director of media relations. "But we are seeking to do this expeditiously. I am fairly certain they will happen early next week."

Showing that the administration is serious about the latest in a series of embarrassing run-ins with the law, the university president, the Rev. Donald J. Harrington, abruptly ended a fund-raising trip to Florida and will hold a press conference today and attend tomorrow's game against Boston College at the Garden.

Wegrzyn put the blame for the incident early Thursday squarely on the players involved. "It's important to note this is the result of poor decision-making," he said. He did not say that Clark or assistants Dermon Player and Alex Evans had done anything wrong. He also defended the athletic department's methods of handling teams while traveling. "I reviewed . . . what the protocol was," he said. "Unfortunately bad decision-making led to this."

Yet just hours after a humbling 71-51 loss at No. 4 Pittsburgh Wednesday night, six members of the 10-player St. John's traveling contingent went out to a suburban strip joint, where three negotiated a price for a woman to come back to their university-paid-for hotel room for sex. Afterward, when the players did not pay, the woman went to the police with allegations of rape.

The three players - Reynolds, Ingram and Keita - were cleared when Ingram produced a video from a camera phone to corroborate their story -- and incriminate the woman - but the actions of all six and a team manager were exposed. Some of those involved may have been in the room watching the sexcapade and others may have only known about it.

Senior Mohamed Diakite, freshman Lamont Hamilton and a team manager, Eric Garnier, were suspended from the team indefinitely until an investigation of their involvement is complete. Freshman Tyler Jones is being held out of at least tomorrow's game.

"It's important our student-athletes live up to the standard of St. John's University," Wegrzyn said. "It's public knowledge students in question have violated team rules. They were in a location where they shouldn't have been and their actions were inappropriate. . . . (The athletic department is) looking ahead and at the same time is focused on furthering investigation of the remaining players and bringing this unfortunate and sad event to a close."

The scandal comes at a time when image-conscious St. John's is about to begin its search for a new coach, but Wegrzyn said he thinks it will have no impact. "Any coach that was interested in this job a week ago is still interested," he said.

St. John's (5-14, 0-8 Big East) is three losses short of tying the school mark for defeats and is almost certain not to make the Big East tournament for the first time. Still, Clark is wearing a brave face.

"We have some people of good character left in our program," he said. "This was an unfortunate circumstance you'd never imagine could happen. . . . Our season will go on with the players we have."

But sources close to the remaining players said they have a different take. "They don't even think they'll win another game," one said. "They're crushed, like all hope has vanished."