It is never fun when a team must deal with legal troubles on the outside. The Southern Illinois University men’s basketball team was known to be a young squad last year, and that was an excuse on the court.
Unfortunately, the youth took another turn over the weekend as sophomore guard Ryan Hare was arrested for aggravated battery and criminal trespassing.
Head Coach Chris Lowery announced today that Hare has been suspended indefinitely. Hare was a key performer last year, with 26 starts and appearances in every game during his freshman year.
Lowery's twitter update reads, "It is always tough when you have to discipline people in your family. The most important thing is that a lesson is learned from it."
Hare was a bigger guard, with the ability to get to the rim despite not being as quick as some people. He was also able to use his long arms on defense, and was one of the better Saluki defenders a year ago…something that is very important in Coach Lowery’s system.
Carbondale police said they responded to a fight at 9:20 am on Saturday. Hare was sent to Jackson County Jail. The victim, an acquaintance of Hare, was treated at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale and released.
Indefinitely can mean a lot of things. Right now, Hare has bigger troubles than just basketball. I wish him, his family and the team the best as they get through this. The 20-year-old Hare is still maturing, and unfortunately, this is a step backwards in the process.
Jamaal Tatum, a former star guard under Lowery, was once charged with a DUI. Tatum was very remorseful and learned from the mistake. He became one of SIU's leaders on and off the court.
Now, a young Hare brings another legal issue to the team. Again, basketball is not the top priority right now. We still do not have all the details, but there are enough there for Lowery to suspend his key performer indefinitely.
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