Klay Thompson Suspension Ends: Washington State Star Will Play In Pac-10 Tournament

Suspended Washington State star Klay Thompson has been reinstated by head coach Ken Bone and will play in the Pac-10 Tournament. Thompson was slapped with an indefinite suspension following an arrest for possession of marijuana  last Thursday, just hours after the Cougars beat the USC Trojans in Pullman. Without Thompson, the Cougars lost any hope of gaining an at-large bid with a loss to the UCLA Bruins on Saturday, but could still steal an automatic bid with a Pac-10 Tournament championship.

The news was reported by the Spokesman-Review’s Vince Grippi, just hours after Bone said a decision on Thompson’s future would be made soon. Grippi added a note about injured point guard Reggie Moore, who also missed Saturday’s game.

But the big news is Thompson will play. … Also, Reggie Moore practiced Monday, though he was still limited by his right ankle sprain. Whether he’ll be ready to go by Thursday is still up in the air.

The Cougars and Washington Huskies will go at it for a third time this season in the quarterfinals of the Pac-10 Tournament on Thursday. Washington State swept the regular season series, with Moore and Thompson keying both wins. The Huskies have hit a rough patch lately, and both teams ended the seasons with losses, Washington to USC and Washington State to USC.

For more on the game, check out our Pac-10 Tournament StoryStream. For more on Thompson, check out the rest of our StoryStream. To connect with WSU fans, visit SB Nation’s CougCenter.

Klay Thompson Suspension Could End Before Pac-10 Tournament

A decision on the length of Washington State star Klay Thompson’s suspension still hasn’t been made, but head coach Ken Bone will announce his status for the upcoming Pac-10 Tournament within the next 24 hours. Thompson was suspended indefinitely following a marijuana arrest last Thursday, missing the Cougars’ regular season finale, a four-point, overtime loss to the UCLA Bruins on Saturday.

Thompson was on the bench for the Cougars’ loss to UCLA, which saw Washington State play two walk-ons and a patchwork lineup because of his, and point guard Reggie Moore’s, absence. Before the game, Thompson, who shies away from public speaking, took the microphone at Beasley Coliseum and apologized to the fans while saying it wouldn’t happen again. Bone said Thompson’s apology was a step in the right direction, but no firm decision on the suspension had been made as of Monday morning.

Looking at other incidents this season, including Moore’s arrest and subsequent suspension for a marijuana-related citation, it’s likely Thompson’s suspension is lifted, allowing him to play in the Pac-10 Tournament. Moore spent one-game on the bench earlier in the season after a search of his door room turned up marijuana paraphernalia and a small amount of the substance on his side of the room. He returned to play the next week after sitting out a Saturday game in California.

The Cougars battle the Washington Huskies for the third time this season to open the Pac-10 Tournament on Thursday at Staple Center in Los Angeles. To connect with Washington State fans, check out SB Nation’s CougCenter. For more on Thompson’s arrest and suspension, check out the rest of our StoryStream.

Klay Thompson Arrest Shows WSU Basketball Leadership Problem

As word Washington State basketball star Klay Thompson was arrested for possession of marijuana began to spread, fans of the team sunk deeper into disappointment. But the feelings of the fans were nothing compared to those of his father, Mychal Thompson. On Friday morning, Thompson discussed the arrest, chastising his son for his irresponsible actions.

SB Nation’s Washington State Cougars blog, CougCenter, delved into Thompson’s words, concluding he was right: The Cougars have a leadership problem. When its biggest stars — DeAngelo Casto, Klay Thompson and Reggie Moore — all run afoul of the team rules, and two of them run into trouble with the law, it’s a bad sign of things to come.

This is all just this season, and these are the team’s three best players. Leaders don’t do dumb crap like this. Leaders make sure they’re above reproach. And the guys that are supposed to be this team’s “leaders” all have had mild to severe lapses in judgement in just the last three months. During the season.

Maybe I owe Bone an apology for this. Maybe this team does need some rules typically more fit for junior high kids to keep it in line. Because it sure looks like they can’t think for themselves.

Throughout the year, fans have been wondering which player is the team’s leader. Thompson was the quiet, lead-by-example type while Moore was a vocal, spiritual leader, it appeared. But with Thompson setting a poor example, with an arrest the night before the season’s final game, is it safe to wonder what’s going on inside the locker room? According to CougCenter’s Jeff Nusser, it is.

Thompson is out indefinitely, and will surely miss the UCLA game on Saturday. The Cougars will be shorthanded, missing Thompson and, perhaps, Reggie Moore, who rolled an ankle and was in a protective boot on Thursday. For a team on the bubble, needing to close the season strong, Thompson’s arrest couldn’t come at a worse time.

For more on the arrest, check out the rest of our StoryStream. For more on the Cougars, check out SB Nation’s CougCenter.

Mychal Thompson Says Klay Thompson Arrest Feels Like A Punch In The Gut From Manny Pacquiao

Klay Thompson’s father, Mychal Thompson, discussed his son’s arrest on Friday morning and what it felt like to receive a phone call late Thursday night about the arrest. Thompson, a former No. 1 overall pick in the NBA draft, was heartbroken by the news, and said he was at a loss for words. The younger Thompson was arrested for possession of marijuana on Thursday night shortly after the Washington State Cougars defeated the USC Trojans in Pullman. He will not play on Sunday against UCLA after being suspended on Friday.

In a statement, Mychal Thompson said it felt like a punch in the gut from Manny Pacquiao as he expressed disappointment in his son.

“I’ve been in that situation many, many times and chose not to do it. You’ve got to be better than that, you’ve got to be smarter. I told him I was extremely disappointed in him. He let the team down, he let the school down and he let himself and his family down.

The Cougars are right on the bubble of the NCAA tournament with one game remaining the regular season and the Pac-10 tournament coming up next week. Thompson has been a key for the Cougars, scoring 21 points per game while facilitating much of the offense. His draft stock has been rising, as well, with many calling him a late-first round pick.

For Washington State fans wondering what this means for Thompson and the Cougars, his father said Klay needs to stick around and get his degree to make amends for the mistake. Thompson chastised his son, saying he needs to be a leader and he let his team down with his irresponsible actions.

The Cougars hit the floor against UCLA on Saturday without Thompson to cap the regular season. Stay with our StoryStream for more on the situation as it develops. For more on Thompson and the Cougars, check out SB Nation’s CougCenter

Klay Thompson Suspended, Will Not Play Against UCLA After Marijuana Arrest

After a late-night arrest for possession of marijuana on Thursday, just hours after the Washington State Cougars beat the USC Trojans in Pullman, Klay Thompson was suspended by head coach Ken Bone and will miss the Cougars game against the UCLA Bruins on Saturday. Thompson is scoring 21 points a game this season, easily the most on the team. Late Thursday night, police stopped Thompson for having a headlight out and arrested him for possession of marijuana after a search turned up the substance.

The news comes from Vince Grippi of the Spokesman-Review on Twitter.

Thompson suspended by WSU for last night’s marijuana bust, will miss UCLA game. Status to be evaluated later. More soon.

The Cougars are dealing with a shortage of depth in the back-court after Thompson’s arrest and Reggie Moore’s ankle injury on Thursday. It’s unclear whether Moore will play against the Bruins, but Thompson is surely out. The suspension is indefinite, as of now, but Thompson could be back for the Pac-10 tournament, which begins next week.

The Washington State Cougars and UCLA Bruins tip it off on Saturday in the final regular season game of the year. Stay with our StoryStream for more on the situation as it develops. For more on Thompson and the Cougars, check out SB Nation’s CougCenter.

Klay Thompson Arrested For Marijuana Possession Just Hours After A Game

Klay Thompson had a busy night on Thursday in Pullman. Thompson scored 22 points in the Washington State Cougars' 85-77 win over the USC Trojans, then was promptly arrested for marijuana possession a short time later. Thompson was pulled over in Pullman, officers found marijuana in the car and Thompson was arrested, cited and released for marijuana possession.

The report comes from KOMO News, which added a search of the car, after a search warrant was issued, turned up marijuana.

Pullman Police Commander Chris Tennant said Thompson was pulled over about 10:56 p.m. on College Hill because a headlight on his SUV was out.

Tennant said the officer smelled marijuana and Thompson was the only one in the vehicle, but the WSU junior denied having any drugs.

There's no word on what kind of punishment Thompson faces, but the Cougars had strung together two wins, one over the Washington Huskies, to put themselves back on the NCAA tournament bubble, making the timing of his arrest even worse.

Thompson is the second WSU basketball player to be arrested for marijuana possession, joining Reggie Moore. Moore, the starting point guard for the Cougars, was cited for marijuana possession in December after a search of his unoccupied room yielded a marijuana pipe and the substance.

The Cougs take on the UCLA Bruins this Saturday at Friel Court in Pullman. Stay with our StoryStream for more on the situation as it develops. For more on Thompson and the Cougars, check out SB Nation's CougCenter.