The Iowa State Cyclones suspended guard Matt Thomas indefinitely after he was arrested and charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated early Saturday morning, reports Randy Peterson of the Des Moines Register. Thomas is the second ISU player to be arrested for OWI this offseason, the sign of a potentially ugly trend.
More from Mens Basketball
- Bronny James collapses at practice, taken to ICU with cardiac arrest
- 3 quick takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s win vs. Germany at GLOBL JAM
- UNC basketball adds fifth transfer of offseason with West Virginia big
- Undrafted Kentucky basketball star makes NBA contract official
- Caesars Iowa Promo Unlocks Massive $1,250 Bonus to Bet on ANYTHING!
Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg is “aware of the situation,” according to a school spokesperson, while the player has already been suspended for his violation of the university’s student-athlete code of conduct.
Police pulled over Thomas, 19, at 1:49 a.m. on Saturday morning in Ames for an improper brake light, which the police also cited him for. Because he’s below the legal drinking age, there’s no limit for driving under the influence, and got charged with first-offense OWI.
Last season, Thomas started 15 games for the Cyclones as a true freshman, averaging 5.5 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21.2 minutes per contest. He was mostly a perimeter shooting specialist, taking 131 of his 180 shots from behind the arc and hitting 34 percent of them.
Abdel Nader, a transfer from Northern Illinois, was also charged with OWI in early May. He is on indefinite suspension, too, according to Peterson.
Hoiberg, a former NBA journeyman, is considered one of the top up-and-coming coaches in the college hoops scene. He’s led the Cyclones to steady improvement over his four years running the team, from a .500 record his first year to going 28-8 with a Sweet Sixteen trip in 2013.
He’s building a solid program in Ames, but repeated issues like this won’t help his cause. After signing a 10-year extension in 2013, expect Hoiberg to work hard to clean up these things before next season.