Korie Lucious pled guilty to the misdemeanor charge of reckless driving earlier today, reduced from the original charge of operating while intoxicated. I am, of course, not an attorney (and I don't even play one on TV), but I'd think the facts that (1) this is a first-time offense, (2) Lucious was barely over the legal limit, and (3) he's only 9 weeks from being 21 were factors in the court's leniency.
Tom Izzo released this statement:
"I am disappointed in Korie, and Korie’s disappointed in himself. We look forward to moving past this."
While the incident certainly reflects distnictly poor judgment on Lucious' part, particularly coming so closely on the heels of Chris Allen's dismissal from the program, Izzo's statement also recognizes the less-than-criminally-sinister nature of the event.
I had the over/under for games missed to start the season at 5 (which would include the trip to Maui--could there be a sterner punishment for a college athlete, short of dismissal, than missing out on a trip to Hawaii?). After today, missing the first 2 games (which would still include a home game vs. a major conference opponent, albeit a less-than-intimidating one, in South Carolina) seems like a potentially reasonable outcome. I wouldn't be surprised if Izzo waits to announce the length of the suspension--and I do think a suspension is definitely warranted--for at least a few weeks to help motivate Lucious to stay on the straight and narrow. Expect to see some Mike Kebler action early in the season.
Nothing more to see here, for now. Back to the football talk.