James Madison forward Rayshawn Goins has been suspended by coach Matt Brady for the first half of the Dukes’ first NCAA tournament game on Wednesday night against LIU Brooklyn following his arrest over the weekend.
“I think it’s the right thing to do for the athletic department and I’m OK with it,” Brady said late Monday afternoon to the Daily News-Record of Harrisonburg, VA.
Goins, who is the leading scorer and rebounder for Dukes, was arrested Sunday night on suspicion of disorderly conduct and obstructing justice, according to newspaper.
The newspaper says that police responded to a party Saturday night to provide assistance in dispersing a crowd of about 200 people after hired security was unable to control the crowd. As police began to make the crowd leave, Goins proceeded to shout obscenities and enticed the crowd before he was escorted away by acquaintances, according to police.
Police did not arrest Goins at the time of the incident because they feared the crowd would “turn riotous.” The 6-foot-6 Goins was arrested after the Dukes found out they would play in the First Four game and was released on his own recognizance on a $2,500 unsecured bond.
“The athletic administration is aware of the situation,” Madison official said in a statement (via The Daily News-Record). “We will not be providing any additional comments until we review this matter [Monday] morning.”
Goins, who has been named JMU scholar-athlete the past two years, averaged 12.7 points and 7.4 rebounds this season, which helped the Dukes win the CAA tournament.
“We’re conditioned to playing without Ray,” Brady said early Monday afternoon before reaching a decision on Goins punishment. “…He’s [Goins] a big part of our team, he’s a big part of why we beat Northeastern [for the CAA title], and he’s going to play an integral part of what we do this weekend.”
Goins practiced with the Dukes on Monday, but said, “No comment,” and walked away when a reporter tried to question him.
