Louisville players plead guilty, avoid jail time

Two Louisville players who were arrested for scuffling with a cop pleaded guilty in a Jeffersonville, IN, City Court.

Jerry Smith and Terrence Jennings will receive one year suspended sentences, a year of probation, and perform 40 hours of community service.

If you remember, two weeks ago the two players were arrested and charged with resisting arrest stemming from a fight at the bar Kye's. Both prospective starters this season for the Cardinals, Smith and Jennings will not miss any game time for Louisville.

Louisville has to be glad this ordeal is over, as they have plenty of distractions to deal with this season.
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No. 21: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Louisville Cardinals

2008-2009 Record:

Key Losses: Terrence Williams, Earl Clark

Key Returners: Jerry Smith (7.8 ppg, 41.2% 3's), Edgar Sosa (7.3 ppg, 2.4 apg), Samardo Samuels (11.8 ppg, 4.9 rpg), Terrence Jennings (4.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg)

Newcomers: Peyton Siva, Rakeem Buckles, Mike Marra, Richie Phares, Stephen Van Treese

With Terrence Williams and Earl Clark now in the NBA, sophomore Samardo Samuels is going to be counted on for much more production inside.
(photo credit: Zimbio)

The Louisville Cardinals had a bit of a tumultuous off-season. They lost versatile talents Terrence Williams and Earl Clark to the NBA, Rick Pitino had his most embarrassing moment make national headlines all summer long, and two prospective starters (Jerry Smith and Terrence Jennings) face charges resulting from a fight in Indiana last weekend. But the fact of the matter is that this Louisville program is still stocked with young talent.

Let's start up front, where youth doesn't necessarily mean a lack of productivity. Of the six interior players expected to be in the rotation for the Ville, four are sophomores and two are freshmen. The best of the bunch, at least last season, was 6'9" Samardo Samuels. Samuels is a load on the block, tipping the scales at 260 lb. Samuels is not a very explosive player, but he is as technically sound as they come on the block. He has quick feet in the post and he really understands how to use his body and his strength to his advantage in the lane. Those nimble feet and ample strength also make Samuels an excellent defender and offensive rebounder. His defensive rebounding numbers were not anything too impressive, but a big reason for that was how well Terrence Williams could rebound; Samuels at times was only needed to box out the opposing center. Samuels tailed off a bit towards the end of last season, seeming to get worn out from the season and, simply put, because he struggled a bit against bigger players. Given an off-season to work his body into shape, I'd expect Samuels to have a big year as one of Louisville's top offensive options.

Joining him up front will likely be Terrence Jennings. Jennings showed quite a bit of promise as a freshman. Jennings is a perfect contrast to Samuels up front. His offensive skills need quite a bit of polish, but he is a strong 6'10" with impressive athleticism. He runs the floor well for someone his size, he seals hard in the paint, and if he touches the ball within five feet, he's getting a dunk. But that's about it for Jennings offensively. He has quite a bit of NBA potential, but until he develops an offensive game, he is going to be mostly a dunker and shot blocker, even at this level. But how will he handle playing alongside Samuels as opposed to backing him up?

Joining those two is a deep and talented pool of forwards. Sophomore Jared Swopshire looks to be the leader as the first big off the bench. Swopshire is less of a pure post than Samuels or Jennings, which is important for Pitino's 2-3 zone. If Samuels or Jennings struggles playing as a wing, Swopshire has the same kind of length and athleticism that a guy like Clark had. Another sophomore, George Goode, is a kid with a lot of potential, especially on the defensive end where he had an impressive 20 blocks in just 160 minutes last season. Perhaps the most important player in this front court will be Rakeem Buckles. With Clark and Williams out of the picture, Louisville loses quite a bit of versatility and playmaking ability. Buckles, a 6'8" combo forward known for his perimeter and face-up game, could be the guy that replaces that. Stephan Van Treese, a 6'9" freshman, is another big body that could provide minutes up front.

As we have become accustomed to, Louisville will begin the season with a back court of four interchangeable 6'2" guards. Leading the way will be two seniors - Jerry Smith and Edgar Sosa. Sosa is a bit on an enigma. After an impressive freshman season, Sosa has had a disappointing couple of years, including a junior season in which his minutes were cut and he was nearly asked to transfer by Pitino. Sosa has the talent - he can shoot, he can pass, he can defend - but it is his poor decision making and questionable effort that has made his become a question mark. Louisville is going to need him to step up and become a play maker to help replace what was lost with Williams and Clark.

Smith will most likely start alongside Sosa. Smith is one of those guys who has seemingly been in school forever. His best attribute is his perimeter shot, as he knocked down 41.2% of his attempts from deep. But Smith is also an excellent defender that has proven over the last three years he has no qualms with harassing opposing back courts for 94 feet. Preston Knowles, who had a bit of a breakout sophomore season, is exactly the same player. Knowles may actually be better than Smith, as he has garnered a reputation for being one of the best on-ball defenders in the Big East and proved last season he could be relied on for his perimeter shot, hitting 43.2% from deep.

The best of the bunch may be a freshman. Seattle native Peyton Siva was as sought after as any PG recruit in the country. He can basically do whatever it is you want from a point guard. He can break down a defender, he can lead the break, he works his tail off defensively, and he can rise up and dunk on a big man in the lane or hit a 23 footer off the dribble. What makes him so appealing to Pitino is his play making ability. Siva is going to create points - either for himself or by setting up teammates.

Outlook: Louisville's biggest problem next season is going to be replacing the offensive production that Earl Clark and Terrence Williams brought to the table. Williams played the role of point guard for the Cardinals last season, using his ability to drive and dish to create opportunities in the half court. With Williams, and to a lesser extent Clark, gone, filling that role will be key for Louisville. They have the shooters, they have guys in the paint that can finish, but will they have someone that can set those guys up? Will they have someone that can create their own shot? The Cardinals struggled to score at times last season, and lost their two best offensive players. Defensively, they should be just fine. With a four guard rotation still, they should have no problem pressuring the ball for 40 minutes. The only issue I see is that it may be a struggle for Samuels or Jennings to play a wing role in the 2-3 zone. This roster has the talent to make the dance and finish in the top five in the Big East, but will Pitino be able to get his players to move past all the off-season distractions?
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Terrence Jennings and Jerry Smith will not miss any game time, only face once charge

There were two new developments in the case against two Louisville basketball players. If you remember, over the weekend Jerry Smith and Terrence Jennings, both expected to start this year for the Cardinals, were arrested after a fight at Kye's, a bar in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

Rick Pitino spoke with ESPN.com, telling Dana O'Neil that:

They will be punished and are being punished right now. But no, they will not miss game time.

So that settles that debate. It looks Gary Parrish was right.

The other news that came out today was that the two players would only be facing one charge stemming from the altercation - a single count each of resisting law enforcement. The police report initially stated that both Jennings and Smith would be facing multiple charges, including disorderly conduct and battery of a law enforcement official. But as Clark County prosecuting attorney Steve Stewart told the Jeffersonville Evening News:

People don't understand that police make a recommendation in the report, but the prosecutor makes the decision what charges will be filed.

Ok, so it was Stewart's decision to only file one charge each against Jennings and Smith. Understandable, I guess. The cops were off-duty and only wearing t-shirts, albeit t-shirts that said police on it.

That said, it would have been nice if Mr. Stewart had made us aware of any mitigating circumstances (h/t Rush the Court, who always do their due diligence):



I know I am insinuating a pretty serious accusation, and I know that Stewart no doubt takes his job very seriously, but lets look at the facts: Jennings got in a fight in a bar, was seen by the cops "shoving" people, was taken to the ground where he, as Pitino put it, took some "pretty good blows" and had to be tazed not once, but twice, before Smith interfered with the police to the point that he, too, was arrested. Should I mention that Jennings, who doesn't turn 21 until Nov. 2nd, also had alcohol in his system?

Maybe witnesses came forward that said Jennings didn't deserve the second jolt of electricity. Maybe Stewart was trying to avoid excessive force accusations against these cops. Maybe the fact that they were off-duty played a factor.

But isn't it possible that Stewart didn't want to see two starters from the same school he received his law degree get a couple extra charges?

To be fair, I spoke with someone who works as a prosecuting attorney in Connecticut (different laws than Indiana, but same premise), and they said that many attorneys don't like to charge a person with more than one crime for a single event. Instead of assuming that Stewart gave these kids a break because he went to Louisville's law school, my guess is that Stewart took this as a single event; that it wasn't fair to pile on extra charges for one offense. Apparently, this is a pretty standard procedure, so I think that Stewart should be given the benefit of the doubt.

The bigger issue is that Pitino won't make these two miss any game time. If "any time you defy a police officer, it's serious", as Pitino was quoted as saying, then shouldn't these two players be punished for their defiance of a police officer?

If scuffling with some cops doesn't get you at least a game suspension, what does?

Again, if we are going to be fair, there is some precedence. In July of 2008, West Virginia point guard Joe Mazzulla was arrested for a very similar offense - he and a teammate got into it with a couple off-duty cops at a Pittsburgh Pirates game. They didn't miss any game time in 2008-2009 season as a result. Mazzulla was arrested again this past spring, and while he was suspended indefinitely from team activities over the summer, he has since been reinstated and won't miss any game time this season.
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More bad news for Louisville: New charges added against Jerry Smith and Terrence Jennings

Police have added new charges against Louisville's Jerry Smith and Terrence Jennings stemming from a fight inside a bar in Jeffersonville, Indiana, at 1am on Sunday.

In addition to the charges of resisting arrest, Smith and Jennings will both also be charged with disorderly conduct and battery of a law enforcement officer.

The police report of the incident was also released.

Additional charges were filed against Terrence Jennings and Jerry Smith.
(photo credit: Sporting News)

Apparently, Jennings got into some kind of altercation inside the bar Kye's. Two off-duty officers were working security at the bar, and tried to break-up the fight and get Jennings to step outside and calm down. Jennings didn't listen, and instead fought with the two officers (who were both apparently wearing t-shirts that said "POLICE" on the front and the back). They then took the 6'10" sophomore to the ground, where he was tazed twice while officers were attempting to put him in cuffs. Smith came over while the off-duty cops were waiting for a patrol car, and asked them what he could do to help Jennings. They told him to back away, he didn't, and then resisted when they attempted to restrain him. He, too, was taken to the ground and cuffed.

Jennings, who is 20, also had a blood alcohol level of .022.

This doesn't look good for Jennings, who it seems was the instigator in this whole mess (although there's always the possibility that the other party was the instigator, and the cops simply went after the 6'10" black guy that was shoving people). In any case, Jennings should have been smarter than to put himself in a situation that resulted in both his and Smith's arrest, and he absolutely should have settled down once the police became involved.

If I had to make a guess, it would be that Jennings and Smith both get, at most, a two game suspension (personally, I'd give Jennings two and Smith one, because wouldn't you want a senior captain coming to help out one of his younger teammates. Granted, he probably should have gone about it differently, but that is why he is getting a game).

This once again raises the question: would suspending these two be hypocritical of Pitino? Gary Parrish says it would be, because

Pitino wasn't disciplined for conduct unbecoming of a Louisville Cardinal, [so how can] he discipline players for conduct unbecoming of a Louisville Cardinal?

Its a good point, and I agree to an extent. Getting a group of college kids, let alone big time DI athletes, to buy into the whole "do as I say, not as I do" mantra is a tall task.

That said, keep in mind that Pitino was never arrested.

He didn't break any laws.

While he may have ruined his marriage, his public image, and his iconic status in (parts) of Kentucky, he did nothing illegal.

Jennings and Smith did.

And, as a result, they will probably be punished.
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UPDATE: Louisville's Jerry Smith and Terrence Jennings arrested

Because this off-season hasn't been bad enough for the Louisville Cardinals (although it pales in comparison to what Kansas and Binghamton have gone through).

Last night, sophomore center Terrence Jennings and senior guard Jerry Smith were arrested out Kye's, a restaurant in Jeffersonville, Indiana, where they attended a university alumni event. From WAVE 3 in Louisville:

Police say there was a party at Kye's in Jeffersonville, where Jennings was involved in a fight. According to police, Jennings resisted off duty officers who were investigating the fight. He was charged with resisting arrest, a Class "A" misdemeanor.

Jeffersonville police say Smith then got involved, and despite repeated orders from police to stay away, didn't. He was arrested and also charged with resisting, as well as interfering with law enforcement.

Both men were booked into the Clark County Jail, but have already posted the five thousand dollar bond.

And Pitino was having such a good year.

Terrence Jennings and Jerry Smith were arrested early Sunday morning.
(photo credit: Rush the Court)

In all seriousness, I don't see Smith or Jennings getting a suspension of more than a game or two. Louisville's off-season troubles were not due to mistakes that the players made (like in Brady Morningstar's situation), and in the grand scheme of things, a misdemeanor arrest is not all that big of a deal. Rick Pitino was quoted as saying "we are aware of the situation and will be handling it internally", which is a fancy way of saying that Jennings and Smith will be spending a lot of time running sprints after practice.

I think the bigger concern is that both players are expected to be starters for this Cardinal team, while Smith will be a senior leader in the back court. Is this the example you want Smith setting for guys like Peyton Siva.

UPDATE: Apparently, police had to use a taser to subdue Jennings. But would anyone be surprised? Jennings is 6'10" and 230 lb of muscle. That's a big boy. Continue reading...