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During the offseason, the old adage "no news is good news" rings truer than ever for college sports fans, at least when it applies to players already on the team. Darius Paul may not have heard that phrase before this morning. Now though? I'm pretty sure he knows it.
I'm not going to condemn Paul for underage drinking. That would make me a massive hypocrite. I drank a rather large amount as a 20-year-old too, but the main difference between Darius and me is that I'm not 6-foot-8, so I tended not to stand out on campus.
Should he have been drinking on a Monday night? Probably not. Is that the main problem? No. Should he have run from the cops? Definitely no. Nothing good comes from it. The odds are grossly not in your favor and when you're eventually caught, it will just be worse.
Paul was/is slated to be a major contributor to the Illini next season, to the point that many consider him our starting power forward. Is this arrest enough of an infraction to damage his status on the roster? I don't think so, but we'll keep you updated as we learn more details.
UPDATE
4/22 3:15 p.m.
Groce on Paul arrest: "We are aware of the situation that occurred with Darius and are in the process of gathering more information," (1/2)
— Aaron Bennett (@WCIA3Aaron) April 22, 2014
More Groce on Paul: "We need to let the legal process run its course, and then will determine appropriate disciplinary action." (2/2)
— Aaron Bennett (@WCIA3Aaron) April 22, 2014