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Illinois basketball player dismissed following arrest in France

By Josh Criswell

Feb 7, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of basketball sitting on the court during the 2nd half of a game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2015; East Lansing, MI, USA; General view of basketball sitting on the court during the 2nd half of a game between the Michigan State Spartans and the Illinois Fighting Illini at Jack Breslin Student Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Illinois basketball team has dismissed junior forward Darius Paul after a recent arrest on the Illini’s trip to France. 

The Illinois basketball team arrived in Europe last week, hoping to get better for the upcoming season with a series of exhibition games against both European national and professional opponents. While the Fighting Illini did gain valuable experience on the trip, that is not what has dominated the headlines.

Junior forward Darius Paul was dismissed from the team after being arrested in France last Friday. He was taken into custody for vandalizing cars and resisting an officer.

“Although his playing days here are over, we are committed to helping him move forward,” Illinois head coach John Groce sais in a statement, via Sports Illustrated.

Paul transferred to Illinois after averaging 10.4 points and 5.7 rebounds as a freshman at Western Michigan, but never suited up for the Fighting Illini. He sat out the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons due to a series of off-the-court issues.

He was arrested in 2014 for underage drinking and resisting arrest. After this incident, along with two failed drug tests, Paul decided to transfer to Lamar State-Port Arthur for the 2014-15 season. Despite his previous transgressions, he was welcomed back to the team. Unfortunately, that reunion was short-lived as Paul fell back into his old ways before the season even began.

Despite emerging as a powerhouse in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Illinois basketball has fallen off in recent years. After making the NCAA tournament for eight consecutive years, including a trip to the national title game in 2005, they have made the big dance just three times in the past eight seasons.

The Fighting Illini were already facing an uphill battle to being a contender in the Big 10. Now, their chances just got even slimmer. It may be time to start looking towards the future, and by doing so, perhaps find a silver lining in Paul’s dismissal.

Illinois is without a doubt depleted at forward with the 6-foot-8 big man now off the roster. But his dismissal also creates an extra roster spot for an incoming recruit.

Zach Norvell, the No. 1 player in the state of Illinois, is taking a serious look at the Illini. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard is the best player is an extremely talented player, and could be a game-changer at Illinois.

Novel does not solve the problem in the post, but he would be a nice addition to the recruiting pitch as the Illini target several elite big men. Among the uncommitted post players currently considering Illinois are top recruits Tony Bradley and Marques Bolden.

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