USI men’s basketball player George Edwards was arrested after being pulled over near a sobriety checkpoint at West Franklin Street and North Lemcke Avenue around 4 a.m. Saturday morning. He registered a blood alcohol content of 0.087, according to the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office.
The junior forward was taken in on the preliminary charge of operating a motor vehicle while intoxicated, which is a Class C misdemeanor. In Indiana a class C misdemeanor can end with 60 days in jail and up to a 500 dollar fine.
Edwards was released from the Vanderburgh County Jail after posting bond.
43 vehicles went through the checkpoint and none were found to be over the legal limit of 0.08.
Edwards is a transfer student from Casper College and Kennedy-King Junior College. This was his first year playing for a Division II school.
He played in 27 of the team’s games this season and averaged about 13 points. He ended the season with a .521 field goal percentage and averaged 7.9 rebounds a game, making him the leading rebounder for the team.
His future with the team now lays undecided after his Monday meeting with head coach Rodney Watson.
“USI takes these matters very seriously and holds its student-athletes to a high standard,” Watson said.
Watson, who has been head coach for the men’s basketball for nine years, has instituted consequences that he deems appropriate.
“George will not be a part of the USI men’s basketball program until he has met all his legal obligations,” Watson said in a press release. “He also must maintain academic progress and work toward repairing the reputation of George Edwards and USI basketball.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Bobby Shipman contributed to this story.