It's official- Will Egolf to play Tuesday against SIU

[Da Coach]

OK. I can see what you are saying. But how did you feel about the criminal charges, and the relatively mild disciplinary actions taken for all the SIU players over the past few years- Jamal Tatum, Stetson Hairston, Mike Dale, Mykel Cleveland, Troy Long, Gene Teague, Jamal Foster, Justin Bocot, Ryan Hare, several legal issues with Desmar Jackson, and all of Diamond Taylor's multiple criminal issues?
And there were many more player issues at SIU under Lowery that I am not mentioning.

[tornado]

First I will state that I agree with the decision.

Second, I will say that 4 games for a felony narcotics conviction means you should probably hold off on talking about other teams and light discipline for a while.

Saluki - did you read the news reports and the comment on the police report?
We all know the circumstances and that it's a felony charge but it's not like Will is buying a truckload or dealing the stuff....and there is NO conviction - or did you not read the discussion - the conviction is not entered and will be dropped if Will maintains the terms of his plea...
and very likely the prosecutors know they may not have won this case because nobody saw any transaction and no pills were seen to change hands - so who they gonna get to testify?
Probably the states atty is at least as happy as anyone about the plea -
I think the discipline was immediate, and satisfactory and since the judge herself has freed Will to return to full freedom - so should Geno.

[saluki762]

OK. I can see what you are saying. But how did you feel about the criminal charges, and the relatively mild disciplinary actions taken for all the SIU players over the past few years- Jamal Tatum, Stetson Hairston, Mike Dale, Mykel Cleveland, Troy Long, Gene Teague, Jamal Foster, Justin Bocot, Ryan Hare, several legal issues with Desmar Jackson, and all of Diamond Taylor's multiple criminal issues?
And there were many more player issues at SIU under Lowery that I am not mentioning.

Too light in many instances.

Tatum got 3 games for DUI, should probably have been longer considering it was second incident in Carbondale.

Hariston and Dale got in a fight and were suspended 2 games. This seems about right.

Cleveland, Long and Teague fired an airsoft gun on campus. This is uncomprehendingly stupid but in a juvenile way. I would probably like to have seen more than 3 games but I can accept it as none of them had been in trouble in Carbondale before.

Bocot had all charges dropped as unfounded. Seems similar to the Ruffin incident so I think he might have been treated too harshly.

Hare was dismissed from team. Hard to discipline him more.

Jackson wasn't suspended long enough.

Taylor should have been dismissed. Nothing to justify him being still on the team. Who cares about APR.

[tornado]

Hare was dismissed from team. ...

LOL - he wasn't disciplined for any of his first several issues and underage alcohol violations - he was only dismissed after he crossed the line for the umpteenth time while on a zero tolerance status

DT wasn't disciplined at all for his marijuana arrest until six months later when discussions on the message board led to further published reports of the lack of discipline

[saluki762]

LOL - he wasn't disciplined for any of his first several issues and underage alcohol violations - he was only dismissed after he crossed the line for the umpteenth time while on a zero tolerance status

DT wasn't disciplined at all for his marijuana arrest until six months later when discussions on the message board led to further published reports of the lack of discipline

You mean the underage charge that was dismissed?

http://www.judici.com/courts/cases/case_search.jsp?court=IL039015J&sort=full_name&order=ASC&case_number=&litigant_name=hare%2C+r&charge_text=

I agree that DT has not been treated harshly enough in any instance. Based on what happened at Wisconsin, he should have had no margin for error.

[tornado]

yeah - that's it - the violation that had the prosecution DEFERRED just like Will's case -
but the violation still happened....

[CubbieBear]

First I will state that I agree with the decision.

Second, I will say that 4 games for a felony narcotics conviction means you should probably hold off on talking about other teams and light discipline for a while.

+1---100% correct

Really tarnishes our program (integrity etc)--I disagree with it-- but I will support the decision & we'll lsee how it plays out

[tornado]

a large part of why you would negotiate a plea to defer prosecution instead of pleading NOT GUILTY and forcing the state to prove their case *** -
is so you can immediately return to your normal way of life, finish school, go back to work, resume your activities...
AND that's exactly what the judge would want with this plea bargain - because it has benefits for BOTH SIDES.
So if the judge tells him to resume his prior activities - then why not return to play basketball?


***(which - as I said here, they'd have trouble prosecuting this case & I bet they know it.....
..and a good defense lawyer might get Will off since there were NO witnesses to any transaction or purchase
and just driving a car with a bottle of pills in it may be hard to prosecute)
For example - here's a narrative of how hard it is (this is a Florida site) to actually prove the hydrocodone was Will's -
it HAS to be on your person - like in your pocket - or it is extremely hard to prove..

http://www.richardhornsby.com/crimes/drugs/possession-of-hydrocodone.html#Actual-Possession

[CubbieBear]

Perhaps...but I thought I read that Will admitted that he bought the controlled substance from the dealer who was also arrested? Seems like that would make it a "lay-up" case for a prosecutor? Either way--good for him I guess that it was disposed of rather quickly and BU has been very lenient let him play after a recent felony--hope it all works out for him "if" he truly learned a lesson.

[Bravesfan]

4 games and no jail time for a felony conviction for narcotics is getting off pretty easy. I agree with the penalties all factors considered but it is still getting off easy.

And don't forget $730 out of his pocket as well. Let's see someone on say Kentucky get even 10% the punishment in the same instance!

[Da Coach]

Dave Reynolds' article confirming Will to play Tuesday against SIU, but will not start-

http://www.pjstar.com/bradleyhoops/x1926908048/Bradley-coach-says-Egolf-will-go-against-SIU

[SFP]

Fortunately, for Will, you were not the judge in his case. I think Judge Gorman, like most judges, considered all the factors, and rendered a wise decision. Will made a serious mistake, but not all felonies are the same. Will has no prior record, was not selling drugs, had only a small number of the pills, and he did not harm anyone else. He was punished appropriately for his crime by Judge Gorman, and will also be punished appropriately under the written policies of the university. He is not getting off easy which cannot be said about a number of athletes at other schools, including SIU.

100% agree here Da Coach!

On SIU let's just say Hinson is the new sheriff in town in Carbondale and for good reason. He will not let the program get out of hand on his watch.

[Chico]

I've always agreed with this

+1.