Brian McLucas, a bouncer at PLAY nightclub in Cincinnati, filed a police report Sunday claiming several members of the Cincinnati basketball team punched and kicked him when he tried to remove them from a VIP table on Saturday night.
McLucas, whose right eye is swollen shut, told Fox19 in Cincinnati that he asked the players to leave because they were drinking alcohol that didn't belong to them.
"I said 'you guys need to calm down,'" McLucas said. "And whenever I did that I looked to the right of me, and right as I looked to the right of me I seen the dude take three quick steps and punch me in the eye."
UC athletic director Whit Babcock released a statement in response to the police report and television interview.
"Right now we are working to gather information and facts," Babcock said. "While we certainly don't want to rush to judgment and will allow for due process, we also want to strongly emphasize that we hold all of our student-athletes to a high standard for their behavior in the community. It is a privilege to play for and represent UC. It is not a right. We have made great strides in our program and this type situation is not what UC athletics is about or will be about. As of now, to my understanding, there are no charges filed, only accusations. We will next comment after we have had time to gather facts and our process moves along or is completed. We will invoke disciplinary action if any of our student-athletes acted in an inappropriate manner."
This news comes just a little over five months after Cincinnati was involved in a horrendous on-court brawl with rival Xavier. The fight resulted in the suspensions of eight players, including four Bearcats. UC star Yancy Gates, who bloodied the eye of Musketeer Kenny Frease with a right cross, was dealt the harshest punishment of the bunch, a six-game suspension.
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