Four Tennessee Basketball Players Arrested; Charged with Gun Possession

Four Tennessee basketball players were arrested during a traffic stop early on Friday. Not only were the four Tennessee basketball players arrested, but there was a handgun in the car, a bag of marijuana, and an open container of alcohol. It's certainly not going to be a happy new year for these players, their teammates, and the coaches at Tennessee. The team already released a statement about the incident stating that they take it very seriously, but no action has been taken on behalf of the team at this point. If they do really take it seriously, suspensions and expulsions should be expected very soon for these students.

At nearly every University around the country, it is against University policies to break the law. If any of these students are found guilty of any possession charges it should result in some pretty harsh punishments. Unfortunately, if past precedence at other Universities leads to the final decision in this one, there may only be some slaps on the wrist coming. It was just a few seasons ago when two Gonzaga University students were caught with illegal drugs in their possession, but the team allowed one of their star players to come back the very next season and continue playing for them. The Tennessee players have committed something worse though by having a gun in the car, but three players can plead ignorance to that infraction.

According to an ESPN report on the four Tennessee basketball players being arrested, it was a routine traffic stop that led to the discovery of the gun, drugs, and alcohol. The officers on scene smelled marijuana coming from the car before finding a handgun with an altered serial number, a bag of marijuana, and an open container of alcohol. Now all four players, which are starting senior forwards Tyler Smith, 23, junior point guard Melvin Goins, 22, junior center Brian Williams, 22, and sophomore guard Cameron Tatum, 21 are going to possibly be facing some serious consequences from their actions.

Tyler Smith had been averaging 11.7 points per game so far this season in 26.8 minutes per game played. Last season he put up 17.4 points per game, and is one of the cornerstones of this Tennessee team. So far in the 2009-2010 season, the Tennessee Volunteers have a 10-2 record and are currently ranked #14 in the nation. This is extremely bad news for the team, as these players are four of the top eight scorers on the team this year. If Tennessee actually acts accordingly to this news, then the Vols could be facing a down season where they once had hopes of winning the SEC this season.

Criminal Charges so far:

Tatum: unlawful possession of a firearm and open container of alcohol
Smith: unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm with altered serial number (felony)
Goins/Williams: gun and drug possession charges

Sources:

ESPN Report

Tennessee Team Page