UCLA Extends Cody Riley, Jalen Hill Suspension Until End of Season 2017-18 Following Shoplifting Incident in China
Officials of the University of California, Los Angeles, recently decided to extend the suspension of basketball players Cody Riley and Jalen Hill until the end of the 2017-18 season.
Riley and Hill, along with LiAngelo Ball, were involved in a shoplifting incident during their stay in China. They were charged and later detained in the country and could have faced a 10-year jail sentence. But after United States President Donald Trump talked to China's President Xi Jinping, the college basketball players were released and allowed to return to California.
In a subsequent press conference, the three admitted to the charges. UCLA then sanctioned them with suspension, which prohibits them from joining the university's basketball games and traveling with the team.
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According to reports, UCLA coach Steve Alford said in a statement: "Since returning from China, they have done everything asked of them and continued to work hard in the classroom and in their own personal workouts."
"I've told our players all along that actions have consequences, and the season-long suspension shows how seriously we take their misconduct. Though they will not suit up for games or travel with the team, I look forward to their return after the Christmas holiday. I am confident that they will make significant contributions to the university moving forward," Alford added.
The university's athletic director, Dan Guerrero, said in a statement that the institution still supports Hill and Riley despite the China shoplifting incident. Guerrero and Alford reportedly confirmed that the extension of the players' suspension was in accordance with the university's Office of Student Conduct decision.
On the other hand, Ball is no longer attached to the UCLA Bruins after his father, LaVar Ball, pulled him out of the university. According to reports, LiAngelo Ball is now set to continue his basketball career in Lithuania alongside his younger brother, 16-year-old LaMelo Ball. On Dec. 11, the Ball brothers were signed by the Vytautas Prienai–Birštonas team.
