From Oxford come reports that two Ole Miss basketball players were arrested last week after a confrontation with Lafayette County sheriff’s deputies outside of an Oxford skating rink. Provine High grad Justin Reed, the team’s top scorer and rebounder last year faces a misdemeanor charge of simple assault. Emmanuel Wade, the Rebel’s sixth man, was charged with felony assault and resisting arrest after he was accused of hitting a deputy. If convicted, Wade could get five years in prison.
Odds are, of course, these players’ legal problems will go away before Christmas. And I’m not going to go into some tired rant about “these guys think they’re above the law, blah, blah, blah,” because 1) nothing has been proven in court, 2) these guys apparently haven’t been in serious trouble before, 3) the circumstances surrounding the incident aren’t entirely clear, and 4) the Lafayette County sheriff will be up for re-election eventually. Besides, practice begins Oct. 12. Reed and Wade should get ready to say “sorry” and to run lots of laps.
Here’s what’s disturbing: This isn’t the first time Ole Miss basketball players have gotten in trouble at this skating rink. According to news reports, three Rebel players were arrested in 2000 after they were allegedly involved in a fight in the parking lot. The rink’s owner dropped the charges in that case. After the latest incident, Ole Miss basketball coach Rod Barnes reportedly agreed to the owner’s demand that he declare the rink off-limits to his players. College students will be college students, but the Rebels have cause to party elsewhere.
