WVU’s newest basketball signee has a legal issue to address. There’s a warrant out for Tarik Phillip’s arrest after he was arrested one day two years ago and didn’t appear in court the following day.

The charge was shelved until Phillip could be located. In North Carolina, that’s called voluntary dismissal with leave, according to a magistrate in the Gaston County office. That’s not the same as having the charge dismissed. If Phillip turns himself in here soon, he’ll have to pay a secured $5,000 bond for failing to make a court appearance two years ago and then face the original felony charge for larceny.

In the big picture, it’s not a deal-breaker. It just looks bad. He’s already signed and Bob Huggins says WVU knew about the arrests — there were two — and looked into everything and WVU thought everything was resolved. Not sure what happened there, and perhaps that’s asking for another story, but there’s no jail time with the larceny charge and nothing additional for failing to appear. The story is that a kid was arrested twice in three months and didn’t appear for a second charge and that he and seemingly unsuspecting WVU have to deal with the look that comes with it.

I promise, I have a different story for Phillip for tomorrow’s paper.

(Update: Mecklenberg County says Phllip is also wanted there for failing to appear in court to fave a misdemeanor injury to property charge. The alleged offense occurred in December 2011. He didn’t appear April 11, 2012, and a warrant was issued a day later. More to come, I’m sure, but I have to believe there’s an explanation.)