University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) basketball players were “involved in a situation” in China, with police being summoned to the team’s hotel to investigate the unknown matter, the Pacific-12 (Pac-12) Conference commissioner said.
Commissioner Larry Scott said in a statement on Tuesday night that “UCLA is cooperating fully with local authorities.”
Scott did not elaborate on what occurred and he said the league was directing all inquiries about the specifics of the matter to UCLA.
“We are very disappointed by any situation that detracts from the positive student-athlete educational and cultural experience that this week is all about,” he said. “Whether in the United States or abroad, we expect our student-athletes to uphold the highest standards. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”
UCLA team spokesman Alex Timiraos said the school is aware of the situation and is gathering more information.
Police were called to the hotel shared by the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and UCLA teams, and three players for the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets were questioned and cleared.
A statement from Georgia Tech said its players were not involved in the activities being investigated.
The teams were staying at the Hyatt Regency Hangzhou on Tuesday before leaving for Shanghai, where Georgia Tech and No. 21 UCLA are set to open the season in a game today.
Georgia Tech said its players who were questioned were to rejoin the team and resume their scheduled activities.
The teams are playing at Baoshan Arena as part of the league’s global initiative.
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