Singletary suspended and other notes
By Jonas FortuneKent State basketball player Chris Singletary has been “indefinitely suspended” by the Kent State Athletic Department after being arrested over the weekend. He will be allowed to participate in team activities.
Singletary was arraigned yesterday morning on charges of resisting arrest and loud noise/disturbance. He pled not guilty, according to court records. A pretrial will be held Oct. 9 at 10 a.m.
“While we are disappointed with Chris’ actions over the weekend, he still has our support and is a valued member of our program. We believe that the suspension is a necessary step at this time until the issue is resolved by the judicial system,” Kent State Athletic Director Laing Kennedy said in a press release.
Further action could be determined after the settlement of Singletary’s legal process.
Singletary was a key player for the Flashes last season as he averaged 10.3 points and 3.2 rebounds a game allowing the Flashes to earn its tenth straight season of 20 wins or more, a Mid-American Conference title and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
MY OPINION ON SINGLETARY
I have always enjoyed being around Chris and I have never really felt like he is a bad person or a threatening person by any means. All of his arrests seem – to me atleast –petty.
Yet at what point does Kent State grow tiresome of having to deal with these type charges?
As a 23-year-old student myself I know we all go through growing pains at this age. It has to be even tougher for a guy like Chris, who is still trying to establish a type of structure in his life that he may have lacked in Chicago.
If he doesn’t figure it out quick though, he may be back in Chicago sooner than he would like to be. I hope that is not the case as I feel Chris needs basketball and Kent State to continue to develop as a person and put these types of situations in the past.
TYREE EVANS UPDATE
I apologize for those who were looking for a Tyree Evans update because I did not deliver one. Evans is indeed on campus and working out with the basketball team.
In fact, he joined the rest of the team as they marched down the goal line after the first quarter of Kent State’s season opening loss to Boston College at Cleveland Browns Stadium.
While I have yet to interview Evans myself – I should be scheduling something in the not so distant future — He is definitely an interesting story from what I have found out. I will have a story for the paper in a couple weeks, so keep an eye out for that.
ZIPS RELEASE SCHEDULE
My counterpart over at the Zips blog, Mike Rasor, has some pretty cool stuff about compliance issues in college athletics. I found it all pretty interesting and it is worth a read if you have questions on gray shirting and eligibility in general.
The post also announces that the Zippies have released their upcoming hoops schedule. Although the Zippies did pick up Pittsburgh, Winthrop and Dayton this year, it is still lackluster. Albeit still much stronger than in past years.
Akron coach Keith Dambrot's scheduling always bothers me. How do you expect to earn an NCAA bid when you schedule cupcakes that deliver little RPI points? This is not only bad for Akron, it is bad for the Mid-American Conference as an entirety (hence why I am complaining about it here). Playing Pittsburgh is a step in the right direction.
Expect the Flashes to release their upcoming schedule soon. I have been told they are trying to fill one more open slot thus delaying the release. A date with National Champion Kansas will be on the schedule though.
September 5th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
You think a DUI is petty? Are you serious?
September 5th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
Have you ever driven in Kent at night Mighty Nanook? Kent police officers pull you over any chance they get. I have had to do two DUI tests myself in Kent.
Both times the police followed me into my apartment complex. I hadn't even had a single beer, yet I still had to do the test.
That is not condoning Chris actually being drunk, but mistakes happen and in the bigger picture he has committed mistakes that are only really hurting himself, hence my petty reference.
Chris is a 20-year-old college student who is still looking to build a structure in his life that he lacked in Chicago.
He made the mistake and drove drunk, something I am sure a lot of people have done at least once in their lives (especially during the college years). They were just never caught. If he makes that same mistake again then he does have a problem.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:10 pm
I got your back Jonas.
Not like I condone it, but getting a DUI in Kent is not the hardest thing to accomplish. Like you said, if it, or some other alcohol related charge happens again, then you know there is a problem and it wasn't an isolated incident.
September 6th, 2008 at 10:43 am
Just a question …. How can a 20 year old get a DUI? I was under the impression that if those overzealous Kent cops were really out to get him he would also have been charged with underage drinking.
September 6th, 2008 at 11:26 am
I don't think they Kent Police are out to get Chris anymore then they are to get the rest of us. I feel as if the city of Kent wants to pretend they are not a college town. The city hall and Kent police department both act accordingly. With out Kent State there is no Kent.
They did not pursue the underage because they got him on the higher charge of DUI.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:12 pm
I am definitely not taking sides on this one, however, because Kent IS a college town the cops have to be ever vigilant in DUI cases. A lot of college kids DO stupid things and make STUPID decisions every night. I don`t think Kent is pretending not to be a college town, Kent knows it is a college town. It is precisely why Kent PD is a pain in the butt for young people. P.S. Go Kent!
September 7th, 2008 at 3:09 pm
Actually, yes, I worked in Kent for 4 years (arriving at work on Friday and Saturday nights at midnight), so I've driven those same roads past those same cops.
I have a hard time accepting that "he is only hurting himself" by driving around drunk. Will that be your frame of mind if a drunk driver slams into you?
September 7th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Luckily he didn't hit anyone. Like I said, I am not condoning it, but its a mistake that a lot of people have made.
He was lucky enough to only hurt himself and, hopefully, he learned from his mistake.
September 7th, 2008 at 11:16 pm
Here's my rankings of embarrassing things:
1) Adding a guy to the basketball team that was charged and pleaded guilty to two felonies - statutory rape and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute - as well as trespassing.
2) Chris Singletary being arrested twice, once for a DUI…and resisting arrest in one case.
3) Kent State fans and bloggers making light of drinking and driving, making excuses for a guy getting arrested twice in one year.
4) The future blog entry that will surely be posted in which a Kent State blogger will defend Tyree Evans, citing his hometown and lack of structure in life as reasons why he was selling drugs and sleeping with underage girls, and why those things are "trivial" matters.
5) Kent State scoring 10 points in the first half on National TV
465683) Akron's 2008-2009 basketball schedule
September 8th, 2008 at 9:49 am
I agree…no defending DUIs by any means, but most people from U of Akron that I know with DUIs all got them in Kent…
September 8th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Steve, you obviously haven't followed Akron (let alone college sports) much to make a list of embarrassing comments, and limiting Akron's offenses to a terrible basketball schedule…
No defense of Evans' stat charge, but it was an 18-year-old and a 16-year-old. If every 16-year-old that slept with an 18-year-old turned him in, we'd have 10 million guys convicted of "statutory rape" walking around this country. At least it wasn't with a 13-year-old, like Akron's new football recruit, and at least the DUI and marijuana charges weren't cocaine, like a few of Akron's former basketball stand-outs.
I'll pin you for one of the people that mock Ohio State, also out of jealousy.
"I'd rather not win the MAC and make the NCAA Tournament than do it and get crushed!"
Kind of reminds me of: "I'd rather not make the national championship game two years in a row than lose in it!"
You only make yourself sound foolish with such comments.
September 8th, 2008 at 6:03 pm
cloverfield,
1) Anytime you say "No defense of…" and then follow it with "but", I hate to tell ya, but you ARE defending it.
2) The Akron football player in question was ACCUSED and was ACQUITTED (That means he wasn't found guilty, just so you know). The Kent basketball player in question was ACCUSED and plead GUILTY (that means he did it).
3) Making light of statutory rape now? Everyone does it in your mind? Is it normal for male students at Kent to try to pick up girls at Proms and Homecomings instead of Bars and Clubs? Can't say I've slept with an underage girl myself…
4) No real defense for selling drugs? Or was your defense the "at least it wasn't cocaine" line…???
5) The UA "standout" that I believe you speak of, Rydell Brooks, was a walk on that never played a minute nor was ever on the active roster for Akron. And when he was arrested, he was removed from the team. Had he gone to Kent, he would've most likely been benched for the first 2 minutes of the game to "teach him a lesson"
6) You "pinned" me wrong…I'm actually a big OSU fan and have been for years…no jealousy here. It was a great accomplishment for KSU to make the tournament. And they have that bragging right over the rest of the MAC. But they also embarrassed themselves on a national stage…can't really argue with that one.
September 8th, 2008 at 11:33 pm
Steve - when Akron actually makes the NCAA's we will pay attention to you again. Until then (as if that will happen) we don't care what you think of a team that actually wins their conference and goes on to the big dance.
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