Diamond Taylor and Jeremy Glover, two freshman guards for the University of Wisconsin basketball team, were arrested early Sunday morning on charges of burglary.
According to a statement released by the UW Police Department, officers responded to a complaint of an attempted burglary of a room in Sellery Hall at approximately 5:41 a.m., where they came into contact with Taylor and Glover as they were leaving the building.
Numerous items — including iPods, a cell phone and over $400 in cash — were confiscated from the subjects, both of whom admitted to having entered numerous rooms in Sellery Hall without permission.
UWPD said Taylor and Glover are also suspects in an ongoing investigation regarding several burglaries that took place earlier the same morning at a residence on Langdon Street.
Both men were booked into the Dane County Jail on charges of burglary and underage drinking, and UW police expect to file additional charges later this week as the investigation continues to unfold.
Athletic Director Barry Alvarez announced Sunday that both players have been suspended from the team for violating the UW Department of Athletics’ Student-Athlete Discipline Policy, according to a department statement.
Pending the emergence of further information relating to their case, Taylor and Glover will remain suspended from competition and practice.
“During the suspension, Taylor and Glover will remain on official squad lists and may continue to receive support service in the sports medicine facility, the academic support center and the weight training room,” said Justin Doherty, assistant athletic director for external relations in a statement.
Taylor is a scholarship player from Bolingbrook, Ill., and averaged 14.4 points per game in his senior year of high school. Glover is a walk-on from Haymarket, Va., and averaged 17.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in high school. Both players are 18 years old.
UWPD is encouraging anybody in Sellery Hall who thinks they may have also been a victim to contact the department at 608-264-2677.
Incidents like this happen every year, according to director of University Housing Paul Evans, who said he hopes the incident will spur students to think seriously about dorm safety.
Though university residence halls remain locked at night and there are cameras mounted at each entrance, Evans said a large amount of responsibility lies with the residents.
While all of the burglarized rooms were occupied at the time of the crimes, none were locked, so the suspects had easy access to the individuals’ personal property.
“This is very unfortunate. We all wish it hadn’t happened, but that’s really the lesson here,” Evans said. “Residents need to be sure to lock their doors, even when they are in the room but may be sleeping.”
Evans added there are always posters up in the dorms seeking to educate residents on safety issues and hopes this serves as a powerful reminder for students to lock their doors.
