For the second time in a week, the third time in a month and the fourth time since August, an Illinois basketball player has been arrested.
Not even a full week after junior guard Jaylon Tate was arrested and charged with domestic battery, junior guard Kendrick Nunn — who like Tate is also a Chicago native and Simeon High School product — was arrested Thursday and charged with domestic battery, according to the Champaign News-Gazette.
According to the report, police were called to the alleged victim's apartment Wednesday evening, with both Nunn and the alleged victim telling the police that nothing physical happened. But the alleged victim later called the police and said something did happen. The charges against Nunn allege that he struck the alleged victim in the head, pushed her to the floor and held her by the neck.
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Nunn is expected to appear in court on Friday.
Nunn's arrest is the third in the last month for the Illinois basketball program, a shocking number of legal trouble run into by Illini players.
Tate was arrested and charged with domestic battery this past weekend after Illinois' season ended following a loss in the Big Ten Tournament. He was indefinitely suspended by athletics director Josh Whitman and head basketball coach John Groce.
On Feb. 19, sophomore forward Leron Black was arrested after allegedly pulling a knife on a nightclub bouncer. He is also under an indefinite suspension.
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And over the summer, Darius Paul was arrested and charged with vandalism, public intoxication and resisting arrest in France during the team's summer European trip. When the Illini returned to the United States, Groce dismissed Paul from the program.
Like Tate and Black before him, Nunn earned an indefinite suspension Thursday night, announced in a joint statement by Whitman and Groce.
“Kendrick Nunn has been suspended indefinitely from all team-related activities pending legal proceedings and an investigation into allegations of domestic battery. Once again, we encourage everyone to allow the legal process to work before passing judgment. We are striving for a championship culture across our entire athletics program. Obviously, yesterday’s event is the latest in a series of conduct issues involving out men’s basketball team. We are working diligently to ensure that our men’s basketball team is representative of the high ideals that we uphold in Illinois athletics.”
Despite a third straight season without an NCAA tournament appearance, Groce earned a vote of confidence from Whitman, who said during a radio interview that Groce will continue to be the Illini's coach. However, with multiple players arrested since Groce received that vote of confidence, it's possible his status could be in doubt.