New Mexico State Men's Basketball Suspends Player Who Punched An Opponent

The New Mexico State Aggies men’s basketball team took swift action after one of its players punched an opponent earlier this week.

Aggies forward Robert Carpenter was trying to gain position for a rebound on Liberty University’s Shiloh Robinson in a game on Thursday. However, his emotions got the best of him, and he punched Robinson in the face.

The Aggies would win 79-73, but head coach Jason Hooten was heavily focused on the incident after the game.

"First and foremost, I just want to apologize to Liberty University coach (Ritchie) McKay for the incident," Hooten said. "Even if there was something that put Rob in that state of mind to do what he did, it's still not acceptable."

He suspected that Carpenter would get suspended for his actions, and he was right. The school announced that it would suspend the forward indefinitely and address his conduct more seriously.

"Per the NCAA’s rules of conduct, any player involved in an altercation during competition is required to serve a one-game suspension. However, we feel it is important to emphasize that the Aggie men’s basketball program places the utmost priority on the values of sportsmanship and respect and feel that an indefinite suspension is necessary," New Mexico State athletics said in  a statement.

Hooten added that Carpenter apologized in person to Robinson, and does not believe that this incident fully encapsulates his character. However, time away from the team seems necessary.

"Robert is a good kid. Unfortunately, he showed some poor judgment during the game and made a mistake," Hooten said. "I believe he is a high-character guy as are all the guys that we bring into this program." 

Carpenter is in his first season with the Aggies after transferring from Mississippi Valley State. He’s third on the team in scoring with 9.7 points per game.