UCLA players in China shoplifting incident to miss season

LOS ANGELES: Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, two of the US college basketball players detained in China for shoplifting last month, will be suspended the rest of the season, UCLA university said Friday.

Riley and Hill had been suspended indefinitely along with a third player involved – LiAngelo Ball.

Ball was then withdrawn from the university by his father, LaVar Ball, who has since announced plans to start a basketball league for high school graduates who don’t want to attend college before launching an NBA career.

Riley and Hill will be allowed to practice with the team and participate in meetings beginning on Dec 26, but coach Steve Alford said they won’t be allowed to suit up for home games or travel with the squad.

“Since returning from China, they have done everything asked of them and continued to work hard in the classroom and in their own personal workouts,” Alford said in a statement. “I’ve told our players all along that actions have consequences.”

The shoplifting escapade created an international incident that eventually included President Donald Trump, who said he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to intervene on the players’ behalf. While Riley and Hill work to get back into UCLA’s good graces, LiAngelo Ball and his younger brother LaMelo have both signed to play with Lithuanian club Vytautas next year as their elder brother, Lonzo, continues his rookie season with the Los Angeles Lakers. — AFP