A warrant has been issued for the arrest of former Minnesota Gophers basketball player Daquein McNeil, who faces two felony charges for allegedly assaulting his girlfriend last November.

McNeil, a 21-year-old Baltimore native, failed to appear in Hennepin County District Court for a scheduled hearing last week, so Judge Todd Barnette issued a warrant for his arrest.

McNeil's whereabouts were unknown, and no defense lawyer was listed for his case in court documents. Initially, F. Clayton Tyler represented McNeil, but he has since withdrawn from the case and said he doesn't know where McNeil is.

The former sophomore guard hasn't played for the Gophers since his arrest. He was indefinitely suspended pending resolution of his case, then didn't enroll at the U for spring semester so was automatically dropped from the team roster.

McNeil initially appeared in court Dec. 1 after eight days in jail. He was released on $75,000 bail without conditions, meaning that he didn't have to check in with probation officers. At the time, Tyler said he hoped to have McNeil's case resolved early this year.

McNeil came to Minnesota as a freshman in 2013 with Gophers coach Richard Pitino, who had recruited the young man while coaching at Florida International.

McNeil was arrested on Nov. 24 and charged with choking and whipping his then-girlfriend, 28. That was the same day the Gophers were supposed to fly to New York for the NIT Season Tip-Off tournament. The criminal complaint said McNeil attacked the woman, repeatedly pouring alcohol and cold water on her, choking her and hitting her with a belt.

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747

Twitter: @rochelleolson