IU’s Yogi Ferrell and Stanford Robinson Arrested

Jan 14, 2014; Bloomington, IN, USA; Indiana Hoosiers guard Yogi Ferrell (11) and guard

(22) react during the second half against the Wisconsin Badgers at Assembly Hall. Indiana won 75-72. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana University guards Yogi Ferrell and Stanford Robinson were arrested early Friday morning for underage drinking and possession of a fake ID. Indiana State Excise Police took the two players in outside of Kilroy’s Sports Bar at around 1 AM.

Ferrell is just two weeks away from turning 21 and Robinson is just 19. Excise police inside the bar immediately recognized the two as being underage, perhaps because their faces are on television regularly and Ferrell might just have the most well known face on campus.

The arrest comes on the eve of Little 500, a bike race that is merely an excuse for a week long party across campus. The event prompts Bloomington to bring in extra police officers to help curtail the chaos. The bars are the most heavily monitored areas in the city and its foolish to try and drink there if you are underage.

What’s interesting is that this happened at a Kilroy’s establishment, a bar that in the early 2000’s when I was in school had a reputation for packing in the freshmen. I remember seeing IU recruits who weren’t even 18 yet going to the bars with players on their school visits. The bars even welcomed the extra publicity of having a basketball player drink there.

But with the extra scrutiny of Little 500 week, its a bad time to test a fake ID.

While this is disappointing for the basketball program, and will likely result in suspensions for both players, being arrested for underage consumption is nearly part of the process to graduate from IU. That being said, it is really easy to get through four years at IU without being arrested. Having a fake ID and going to the bars when you are underage always invites more problems than its worth.

I could also go on a mini-rant about how the drinking age in this country is ridiculous and a lot of our countries problems with alcohol stem from the negative connotations we put on it. There are all kinds of things you can do when you turn 18 and legally become and adult, but getting a beer isn’t one of them?

Despite my personal feelings, Robinson and Ferrell broke the law and will have to face punishment (which is likely a fine, probation, community service, and alcohol awareness classes). The bigger issue is the poor judgement these two showed by going to a bar at this time of year and being famous on campus. Everyone knows you are both underage and your fake IDs won’t change that fact.

These arrests represent the second and third times an IU basketball player has been picked up in the past three months. Hanner Mosquera-Perea was arrested for an OWI which is much more severe than minor consumption. Perea ended up missing two games and one has to think that the punishment will be lighter for a lesser violation (the difference being that Perea could have seriously hurt someone).

IU coach Tom Crean will surely punish both players, but don’t expect a lengthy suspension or for either to be released (that would be insane). Crean will probably make them, in the words of my high school soccer coach, “run till they can’t even suffer.”

We’ll have more on this story as it develops.

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