I hope Trevor had nothing to do with this awful assault and goes on to have a productive time on the court with the Gophers, in the classroom at the U and in life generally.
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His attorney is known more for going after cops for police brutality and civil rights violations than defending assault victims.
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GopherLady said:
Why? Ummmm...how about the crazy reason that his coach left his Marquette, and he didn't want to sit out a year? Art - don't even imply that transferring schools means he's done something wrong.
While him ditching Marquette doesn't point to guilt in a criminal matter, it may be revealing to some with respect to his character.
After Crean left, Mbakwe said hearing rumors that he would leave Marquette was a shock, not true.. the thought never had crossed his mind. Just before classes start, he dips out to 'go the JUCO route', which apparently was code for 'play for Tubby in Minnesota'. Transfers happen all the time - but when you do it in the manner Trevor did, it can be upsetting to some. To classify his departure from Marquette as the normal, "well, the coach left, so the kid left" does not jibe with what really happened.
There were whispers Mbakwe was considering transferring in the days following Tom Crean's departure for Indiana, but on April 16 he told the Journal Sentinel he would remain at MU.
"I've been reading the papers and they're saying all this stuff about me transferring for family reasons before Coach (Tom Crean) even left," Mbakwe said then. "I just want to let everyone know that isn't true. It was news to me. It was a shock. I didn't know where it was coming from, and that's never been an idea in my head. "
A 6-foot-7, 240-pound sophomore forward, Mbakwe would have begun the fall semester with his teammates this morning but instead remains in his hometown of St. Paul, Minn. Williams and the Golden Eagles, meanwhile, were caught completely off-guard by Mbakwe's decision -- especially since he took part in all of MU's off-season workouts and had given no indication he was considering leaving.
“He just said that he felt it was best to go the junior-college route," Williams said. "He had never told me anything. I only want people that want to be a part of our program, be a part of our institution and be a part of our family. I wish Trevor nothing but the best, and I know his teammates feel the same way. I was shocked by the news."
My understanding is that Mbakwe left Miami the morning after this incident is alleged to take place. While one article said he took summer classes 'to make the adjustment after spending last year at a junior college', I think he was actually taking online classes to complete his Miami-Dade requirements. In July, he commented about the rumors about him not playing at the U... A few weeks later, the news gets out about his felony arrest in April.
Mbakwe is taking summer classes to make the adjustment after spending last year at a junior college. Mbakwe played as a freshman at Marquette.
Mbakwe said that he was aware of the rumors about him not playing for the team this
"I know that people have been mentioning about me not playing, but is not true. I'm here. Nothing's changed”
The suggestion that if he is guilty, not playing in games for one year is punishment enough is sick. He has had no punishment to this point - the reality is he was subject to an automatic suspension from team activities - Maturi had to take action in order to allow him to practice with the team and sit on the bench at home games this year.
Per the police report:
On April 3 at a Miami apartment complex, a party was being held for the Miami Dade College basketball team. A woman who lived at the complex was walking from her vehicle to her apartment shortly before 3 a.m. when a man rode up to her on a bicycle. She ignored the man, who ultimately dropped his bike, approached the victim and attempted to pull her pants down.
After yelling for help, the victim was hit twice in the face, suffering a fractured cheekbone and a ruptured sinus.
JS Online - August 2008
Monter article, summer 2009
