By Bill Koch
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Eric Hicks is just relieved to have the matter behind him.

Misdemeanor assault charges against Hicks, a forward on the University of Cincinnati basketball team, have been dropped after Hicks privately settled the matter with Alicia Simmons, the woman who brought the charges against him, according to Hamilton County Municipal Court officials.

"I'm happy everything worked out for the best," Hicks said Wednesday. "I'm glad it's over and I don't have it hanging over me anymore. It was a bad feeling. You don't know exactly what's going to happen."

Hicks, a 20-year-old sophomore from Greensboro, N.C., originally was charged with a fourth-degree felony of aggravated assault and spent one night in jail following a May 17 incident in which he was accused of throwing a beer bottle that hit Simmons in the forehead at the Vertigo night club at 1 W. Corry St. near UC.

His attorney, Ted Froncek, said Simmons hit Hicks with the beer bottle first, causing a gash to his head.

Hicks was suspended from the UC basketball team after the original charges were filed but was reinstated after the charges were reduced to a misdemeanor in late May.

On Oct. 8, the case was referred to private complaint mediation. A confidential agreement was reached Oct. 28. But if either violates the terms of the agreement, the charge again can be prosecuted.

"This decision is why it's important to let the judicial system take its course," UC coach Bob Huggins said. "People want to jump to conclusions about things, and this is why when the system can play itself out, the truth comes out as well."

Hicks is the second UC player to be cleared of charges stemming from offseason incidents.

On Sept. 16, assault and domestic violence charges against sophomore forward Armein Kirkland were dropped after the complainant retracted her story.

Like Kirkland, Hicks talked about the damage done to his reputation.

"People didn't get the full side of the story," Hicks said. "The charges sounded like I went out and did that, and I didn't do it. It's just like that, but I can't do anything about it. It was blown out of proportion from the start."

E-mail bkoch@enquirer.com