NCAA Player Indefinitely Suspended, 'Barred From Campus' for Toppling Opponent With Elbow to Face

In just the first week of the NCAA season, this Division III player was looking to establish rivalries early.

November 15, 2018

two basketball net — Image via Getty/Jeremy Ng
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While fans of NCAA basketball are rejoicing as the regular season has returned, we are reminded of the lengths to which some players are willing to go to win during these fierce competitions.

Take Fitchburg State Univerity player Kewan Platt, who, along with his team, faced Nichols college Tuesday night. Late in the competitive game, Fitchburg began to fall behind. It was at that point Platt made an ill-advised decision to change the momentum.

It appeared Platt took a gander to his right to ensure the referee wasn't looking at him before throwing an unwarranted elbow to Nichols player Nate Tenaglia's face. Another referee caught the blow, and quickly called a technical foul on him, resulting in his ejection, indefinite suspension, and being barred from campus.

Nichols College shared a statement from athletics director Chris Colvin on Twitter noting that their player was able to finish the game but is having his health monitored. “We were troubled by the unfortunate incident that occurred at Tuesday evening’s men’s basketball game at Fitchburg State University," reads Colvin's statement. "The @Nichols_College student-athlete involved was able to complete the game, and we continue to monitor his health. We are proud of the way our student-athletes handled the incident and that they did not allow it to escalate. We are aware that the Fitchburg State administration is handling the matter.”

Scott Faucher, Nichols' head coach, told Yahoo! Sports that, although he did not see the right elbow, he was "proud of how our guys handled the situation. They came together and focused on the next play."

It is not clear why Platt decided to attack Tenaglia, though during the game, Platt caught a dunk on a fast break, aggressively bumping into the Nichols player on the way back down the court.

Elsewhere in college basketball, Zion Williamson made his explosive debut. The Duke player has gotten cosigns from many, including Steve Kerr. In addition, it appears as if LaMelo Ball intends to play college basketball, despite having played pro ball overseas.