In November, LiAngelo Ball—the middle Ball brother—and two of his UCLA Bruins men's basketball teammates were caught shoplifting in China. LiAngelo went on the Today show with his dad, LaVar, and explained what happened.
"We all went out one night, went through the mall, went to the Louis Vuitton store, and people started taking stuff and me just not thinking and being with them, I took something, too," LiAngelo said. "We left thinking we’d just get away. You know how kids think. I didn’t realize until I got back to my hotel, I’m like, 'That was stupid.' But by then, it was too late, and then sure enough, the next morning, the police came and got us."
This led to LaVar pulling LiAngelo out of UCLA. Now, LiAngelo and LaMelo, the baby Ball brother, are playing professionally in Lithuania—a situation that came into play after a random late-night DM.
Well, the other two players involved in the shoplifting incident—Jalen Hill and Cody Riley—are still in Los Angeles. Per a statement from UCLA Friday, the program has decided to suspend both of them for the remainder of the season.
UCLA's Jalen Hill and Cody Riley will remain suspended indefinitely for the rest of the 2017-18 season, per release.
Hill and Riley are both freshmen. They will be allowed to practice with the team and attend meetings, but won't be able to travel with the team.
"I've told our players all along that actions have consequences, and the season-long suspension shows how seriously we take their misconduct," said coach Steve Alford. "Though they will not suit up for games or travel with the team, I look forward to their return after the Christmas holiday. I am confident they will make significant contributions to the university moving forward."
Alford added that since returning from China, Hill and Riley have "done everything asked of them and continued to work hard in the classroom and in their own personal workouts."
