Now that the judicial side of Wallace Hall's arrest seems to be crystallizing, we have to start considering the actions the team will take. Debating what they think Reggie Witherspoon and Bill Maher should do are Daniel "locked down for life" Gvertz, and Alex "Buffalo Soldier" Rubin.
Commitment to Hall
ALEX RUBIN
By now everyone knows of the scandal that has hit the basketball team here at UB. Freshman guard Wallace Hall was arrested Thursday and charged with the sale and possession of marijuana.
Assuming that Hall is guilty, it must be decided what his punishment will be.
Hall should not be asked to leave the school, nor should he lose his scholarship to play Division I basketball.
Hall made a mistake that unfortunately many college students have made, and assuming this is a one-time occurrence, Hall should retain his roster spot after serving a two or three game suspension.
This case has nothing to do with Hall the basketball player; it has to do with the person. I believe that too many people forget that these athletes are students, many younger than the fans that watch them.
Kids make mistakes, and Hall should suffer consequences, but kicking Hall out of the university, or even off of the basketball team would be a knee-jerk reaction and would be a punishment that would not fit the crime.
The biggest case that you can make for Hall is the case of Bulls forward Mario Jordan. Two seasons ago, Jordan failed a drug test and was suspended for two games. Since the incident, Jordan has been a model citizen on and off the court.
If Hall would agree to go through drug counseling, if he would agree to random drug tests that go beyond the mandatory NCAA testing, and if he was placed on a zero tolerance watch, I would see no problem with reinstating Hall after a short two game suspension.
If you are looking for more evidence of why players deserve second chances, look no further then Oklahoma State freshman guard Jameson Curry. Curry holds all of the scoring records in North Carolina high school basketball and was all set to go to the University of North Carolina, when he was arrested for selling drugs to an undercover cop.
After pleading guilty to six felony drug counts, Curry lost his scholarship to UNC. Oklahoma State came to the rescue and offered Curry a scholarship, and Curry excelled as a freshman on and off the court averaging nine points and just under three assists per game, while continuing his 200 community service hours on campus.
Hall should be granted this same opportunity. Hall has made a commitment to the team by signing a recruitment letter. Now in Hall's time of need, the team should make a commitment to him.
More than a student
DANIEL GVERTZ
Wallace Hall should face at least a season-long suspension for next year, and should lose his scholarship for the year as well.
This is a harsher punishment than most university students would be facing, especially for a first offense, but Hall should be considered as more than just a student.
Hall represents the University at Buffalo population on a daily basis, both on and off the court. To be arrested on misdemeanor charges is nothing to sneeze at. Hall could be facing one year in prison.
Such a penalty for a university student who hasn't scored any points in a Division I basketball game would include a possible forfeiture of government-based financial aid. The same should be true for Hall. Just because he can hit the three-ball better than I'll ever be able to doesn't entitle him to more lenient policies.
It's not as if he made some great sacrifice in deciding to attend UB. This is one of the best public universities in New York State, and it's not in the middle of nowhere, like some big basketball universities.
Odds are, if I was arrested on drug charges, I would be removed from my post here at The Spectrum, and Hall doesn't deserve any better treatment from his extra-curricular activities.
If Hall wants to show a deep commitment to the university, and to his teammates, he should sit out a year while taking drug counseling, pay for his mistakes and rejoin the team for his junior year.
Student-athletes represent the student-body of the university they attend. The men's basketball team here at UB made it to a national stage this year, and was featured on national television a few times. The members of that team need to recognize that and act as such.
The actions of Hall, and anyone else who performs the same actions put a black mark on the university, its students and the administrators. Actions like that need to be punished so that the athletes don't even consider committing the crime.
Judgment
Both writers make sensible arguments, but I lean more toward Rubin's analysis. First, we don't even know if Hall did anything until he is convicted or pleads guilty. Second, even if that happens, everyone makes mistakes. College is a time for learning and experimentation, and Hall may have just got caught doing something foolish. I'm not defending his actions, if indeed he is guilty, but I'm saying it's not the end of the world. But above all, I'll reserve official judgment until the case is resolved.
