UCLA players returning to U.S. after being detained in China

[Eugene]

Source: ESPN

UCLA players returning to U.S. after being detained in China

ESPN.com news services
12:49 PM EST

UCLA freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill, who have been detained in China for the past week on suspicion of shoplifting, are headed back to the United States and are scheduled to arrive later Tuesday in Los Angeles, the Pac-12 confirmed.

The players were seen checking into a Los Angeles-bound Delta flight at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport, airline staff told The Wall Street Journal, who first reported that the players were heading back to the U.S.

Delta's flight tracker currently shows that two planes departed from Shanghai at around the same time Tuesday night local time, and both are scheduled to arrive at Los Angeles International Airport at around 5 p.m. PT.

The players' return came hours after President Donald Trump said he was hopeful that they would be allowed to return home after he had a long conversation with China's president, Xi Jinping.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/21409577/ucla-bruins-players-detained-china-set-return-united-states

[LisaM]

1. What's UCLA going to do with them?

If they were just regular students getting a free ride from the university and had been caught shoplifting, they would likely have to forfeit their scholarships.

[padah513]

3. At the very least.

I think expulsion is another possibility.

[LisaM]

4. I predict they won't even miss a PAC-12 game.

Maybe a couple of non-league games. We'll see.

[padah513]

5. Lol

You're probably right.

[underpants]

6. They'll run some laps

[JonLP24]

7. I knew someone not famous at all caught shoplifting

At UNLV still kept his football job. Shoplifting is common in college sports.

[Iggo]

8. I think Bill PLaschke summed it up nicely.

"Welcome home. See you next year."

[LisaM]

9. I hope so. Of course, now Trump has to go muddy the waters

and pretend he saved them from 10 years in jail and that they are ungrateful for his assistance, so the usual battle lines are forming.

I don't know if he somehow thinks this is like North Korea (possible), and doesn't realize the University had it handled (probably not), and just wanted to claim false glory (likely), but I wish he'd stayed away from it.

[Iggo]

2. Lucky. (n/t)