Virginia Commonwealth rising junior forward Mo Alie-Cox has been charged with misdemeanor assault and battery, according to Richmond’s WTVR.
A woman is claiming that during an incident in a local restaurant and nightspot, Alie-Cox was one member of a group with whom the complainant got into a physical altercation. Upon making a remark about former head coach Shaka Smart, who recently left the program for the University of Texas, the woman claimed that the 6’6″, 250 pound forward punched her in the face. Alie-Cox was charged April 30 and will be back in court on May 20.
VCU Athletic Director Ed McLaughlin briefly addressed the incident, offering little detail on what the university’s next step would be.
“We are aware of the charge against Mo Alie-Cox, and we will continue to monitor the situation closely,” said VCU athletic director Ed McLaughlin. “We will allow the legal process to run its course and act appropriately within our VCU Athletics Student-Athlete Code of Conduct as more details become clear.”
Alie-Cox averaged 7.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game last season, shooting 59 percent from the field. His explosive style of play is vitally important to the Rams’ tough defensive approach, so hopefully this incident does not keep him off of the court for an extended period of time.
VCU is coming off a season in which it went 26-10 (12-6 A 10) and will look to continue the success it enjoyed under Smart with new head coach and former Smart assistant Will Wade at the helm.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
