Bragg charged with possession of drug paraphernalia
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Obviously this could have been worse. Self has done the right thing especially in light of what has already happened with Bragg this year.
Usually a coach is able to keep problems internal and handle them internally but this is now strike #2 where Self has had no control over the situation, the only move he can control is to suspend him.
What is he thinking?
This can’t all be “bad luck”. Bad luck that his girlfriend tried to blame assault on him. Bad luck that a police investigation led to a search of the dorms for a separate issue.
Poor choices have led to consequences. Consequences that I think are sending him down a path that will lead him to the proverbial door. Anyone can agree/disagree but we don’t really need to see strike #3 before we just say" its mutually beneficial to move on" at this point. It’s here. Carlton needs a fresh start, obviously some maturing to do as well. Kids will be kids, but Carlton, himself, has brought a lot of negative publicity to the team. I’m shocked its him, truly thought he’d be good here.
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After the previous incident, regardless of guilt or innocence, you would think he was told he would be under a microscope going forward. I am sorry but this kid needs serious help, he seems to have the need to push the envelope. I will guess that one way or another he is gone after this season.
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I consider this strike 1
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This is a misdemeanor and in 8 other states, it wouldn’t even be that. The suspension by Self is because he broke team rules. Weed has many medicinal purposes, but strength and conditioning are not part of that. The 21st ranked Mcdonald All-American has not been playing up to his ranking. 6 points and 15 minutes a game has not helped his future. Self is tired of the headaches. Like Greene last year, if you’re not 100% with the program, it will show and you won’t play. We could use a big man desperately going into the post season. We all make mistakes, but if you are hurting the team, you won’t play. He should be intermittently drug tested. smh. Don’t throw it all away.
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@Blown me too! Needs some big time mentoring! I’ve said before in a kind way, not the most mature.
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I think we are all taking it for granted that the paraphernalia is related to pot. Most likely, it is, but do we know it as fact yet?
Lots of controversy over what can actually be a charge and hold on “paraphernalia.” Most of the time it has to accompany an interview with the suspect screwing up and admitting it was intended to be used with drugs. Or there could be residue on it that can be easily proven one way or the other. Usually, police and DA just ask the person charged to admit intent to save analysis fees and it will look like he is participating with the DA, helping prevent the highest possible charge. At least, I believe that is how it used to work, maybe when it could wrap into higher charges.
A pipe, even a bong, can be used for tobacco or dried fruit… about anything.
I wonder if Carlton admitted what it was intended to be used for?
If he didn’t, the misdemeanor charge should probably be dropped, unless he has the issue with residue.
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I thought my initial reaction was maybe an overreaction – then I saw @JayHawkFanToo’s post. Perfect summary. When you can go to UK and win, you can win the national title. Addition by subtraction.
If we boot Bragg now, we are very thin, but I think pulling the plug may be the best answer. Particularly if there is more behind the scenes than we know.
Truly a “trust Self” moment.
I will say that I think Self’s statement to the press was a bit misleading. Too misleading in my opinion. He said -
“Carlton is suspended for a violation of team rules,” Self said. “This violation is not connected to the alleged incident in McCarthy Hall on December 17th.”
The bongs were found during the rape investigation. So I would say it’s connected to the investigation. Of course, as he said, it’s not connected to the “incident.” Technically correct.
But my first reaction was that Self was a bit misleading there. I know what he means. The rape had zero to do with the suspension. However, no rape, no discovery of the bongs, no suspension. I wish he would have phrased it better.
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@Crimsonorblue22 Agree. Strike 1 and needs mentoring. Still have hope that he can do something good for the team and himself at some point.
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@drgnslayr dried fruit?
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I wondered that myself.
I’m also thinking… the police didn’t search every room after the rape allegation. There had to be a connection somehow to Carlton.
My total guess would be that Carlton knows the “suspect” and the suspect was using Carlton’s paraphernalia.
This is the second incident this season involving police and Carlton. I’m thinking he needs to clean up his act, and a big part of that act is hanging out with people that are only going to bring him down.
Case in point. Twice. (okay, I’m taking this for granted without all the facts)
Just conjecture.
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Yes… fruit in a kind of syrup. If you put foil underneath and use coals to heat it, you have a hookah pipe.
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Let’s face it, if this happens at South Sucothash School of Mines, it does not even make the local paper, but at an elite program such as KU, even the appearance of impropriety gets amplified, becomes national news and gives the program a gigantic black eye.
Don’t you think that Trae Young’s mom hasn’t gotten texts and phone calls commenting on the “drug issue” at KU? Even if nothing comes out of it, the damage has already been done and will be discussed on all sports shows for days to come…we still hear about his previous arrest even when he was cleared.
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@BeddieKU2 Personally, and I know it’s just me and I’ll catch hell from a couple on here for this I ALWAYS DO so I’m ready. Personally my thinking is -Bragg is finished at KU, I said at the time it was just to hand in hand at the time. – just about the time the Douglas County came out and said they had a Drug case pending and " THE SUSPECT " had been notified for the court date, BUT didn’t name the person & right about the same time is when Bragg got suspended, ummm ya I thought uh huh to co-incidental. I just think he has already been suspended once and now is suspended again- -and now being charged with this, I think it just all adds up that whe it’s all said and done - he will be dismissed - but that’s just me and let me just say everyone has a right to their opinion and this is mine. - -So now I’ll wait. for the two that normally like to ride my butt everytime I say something they don’t like - -Not you but they know who they are.
IF - -and let me emphasize again IF this is the case - I feel sorry for Bragg, great kid just got distracted caught up making bad decision - - let’s hope for the best, - -either way KU will be fine - -the team will be fine - -AND hoping for the best for Carlton in how ever everything turns out, whether he stays and back in good graces OR if he has to leave then IF that happens hope he can find another school, get things straightened out and great future let’s hope all works out - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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Bill Self just told me Bragg remains suspended indefinitely, in effect nothing has changed and he will not play versus Baylor.
From Gary bedore
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@BeddieKU23 I agree wit you 100% for sure. hey I don’t hate the guy, - he is/was/is a very likeable kid but like you say he has just made some bad choices that’s all, and along with those bad choices comes bad results - -sometimes you make bad decisions, you have to be held accountable for those decisions - -that’s how we learn, that’s what I’ve always told my kids -young kids are going to do what they want to do - whether it’s good or bad they feel they know - -so I’ve let them do, and if it turns out bad - then they have to learn, that’s the only way they will learn good or bad – it’s to bad but it does happen.
I too think MAYBE it’s just best for both parties involved " to move on " get that fresh start - I wish him nothing but the best 100000000000000000% percent - -great kid - - just one of the trials in life that will be thrown his way, time to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and move forward. - -like I always say don’t look in the mirror, cause you can’t change the past - don’t look to tomorrow cause you don’t know your future - -just live today for today cause tomorrow is never promised - hoping it all turns out well for Carlton - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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@JayHawkFanToo Agreed
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@HighEliteMajor I agree. Coleby is the better option.
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@drgnslayr come on now - -I think that may stretching it just a - - - - bit. - - Can you honestly say and I’m not trying to get things all heated here but can you honestly and with a clear mind can you really believe what your saying? - - Do you REALLY think that a bong or pipe now days but teenage kids that they are going to use a bong or pipe for tobacco – OR FRUIT? I mean don’t you think that is just a little bit of a reach? - -just curious - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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@HighEliteMajor I agree and when I heard Coach say that, and then shortly after that, the Douglas County District Attorney comes out and says they have a pending drug case but yet doesn’t name the person of interest but yet BAM Bragg is then suspended - -just seemed ya kind of all fits is what I thought, I dunno just a really bad situation for Carlton - we all make mistakes God knows I have, just sometime they are very costly for the individual. I hope in the end it turns out as well as possible however it turns out for him, and wish him nothing but the best in his future - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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@drgnslayr Actually this is the THIRD time with Carlton and the police this season - he was alleged assault in Sept with another female not the one that slapped him but yet another female - -shutting her arm in a door and caused bruising that too was dismissed as the prosecuting attorney said they could prove beyond the shadow of a doubt. been a bad year for Bragg - - ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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Another article says paraphernalia with residue. The delay makes me suspect the items were seized, test results finally came back this week confirming pot, and the suspension occurred after Bragg was notified he had a court date.
The police have specifically said the drug case was not related to the rape case. I don’t think it is misleading for Self to repeat the official explanation. Anything else would cause more speculation.
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I hope Snacks didn’t provide him with it.
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I really cant believe the amount of college and pro athletes that throw away their chance to make millions of dollars on this stuff. Just flatout stupid, idk I’ve never smoked weed but I still don’t think its worth losing all you have over it. I was foster parent for years and parents smoking this stuff and neglect puts hundreds of kids in the system.
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Coach Self just finished his press conference, Bragg is not playing against Baylor and no decision has been made after that.
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@kjayhawks you don’t do that to your team! Think about Frank and how much this means to him? How can you do that?
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@Crimsonorblue22 yep, I just don’t see the gain in it.
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I think the police had to play this whole situation carefully on how/when it was reported.
I think they choose to keep his name out so that things didn’t get taken out of context and reported incorrectly with the alleged incident that is being investigated.
There was also something put out a few days ago that Bragg had another separate incident with a girl that involved the police in September. If this is true that’s strike #3 in my book.
I like the kid, I really hoped he would become the player we had all hoped for but its clear this year has spiraled out of control whether that’s an overreaction or not, the fact remains the kid has been suspended now twice with at least two character incidents bringing negative press to his team and to himself.
The end of the season is when Self can address his future and I expect a mutual decision to be made. I’m sure Self would love to still coach him but it may not be the best decision for the team. We have seen this before, I believe the writing is on the wall.
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Our court system doesn’t operate on assumptions. It doesn’t matter what I THINK in a court of law.
Conviction requires evidence beyond a reasonable doubt… not just reasonable doubt. BEYOND!
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@wissox Would Screamin Yellow Zonkers be permissible? Just askin ??
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@Crimsonorblue22 There it is Crims,-S-OOOOOOOO inconsiderate of others & their relentless efforts & work to reach goals… I say what I said the other day. When the timing is better, show him the door from the locker room but don’t toss him out with the bathwater. He’s still a Jayhawk.
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Reality is, we most likely will need that key piece coming off the bench or replacing an injured starter; IF HE CAN GET HIS ACT TOGETHER, gain focus and move forward. If these knockdowns are doing nothing more than rolling off his shoulders, then SAYONARA. Bill Self and staff will be the judge. Bill has dealt with other hard heads, some of whom were ushered out the door or encouraged to leave. I gotta think that playing for this coach in this program amounts to gold coins from heaven. If a twenty year old player can’t reasonably handle the opportunity then the squad is better off without him. I kinda think that Carlton will be offered one last chance.
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@REHawk right, not fair to the team either way.
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@BeddieKU23 ya I read the article about this third encounter with the police - it was a assault charge that was filed but not followed through because the district attorney said they was afraid about being able to prove beyond a show of the doubt. - That was in Sept and separate woman from the one that slapped him - -just not good time for Bragg - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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I prefer to talk about the players that are currently active. We beat Duke an Kentucky in the same season. I am enjoying that fact.
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@drgnslayr I know that’s right in the end I don’t think it’s going to matter - -residue/no residue bottom line it was he is the one that got caught with it in his room right? you might to want to be just a hair more careful about things- -especially when your a member of a high profile major College Basketball team. -Very well could be it wasn’t his- but I think I might either want to take a little better survey of my place after friends are hanging out - OR choose better friends not have to worry I’m not trying to come across perfect by ANY MEANS I smoked pot - -I indulged in numereous illegal drugs coke, pot, pills, and it cost me - -cost me dearly - I made mistakes - -and I paid for those mistakes - -caused me my job with the State of Kansas for my stupidity, he is a young kid - young kids experiment just chances you take. - -I hope things turn out well for Carlton.- -If Coach chooses to keep him - -I’m all 1000000% for that - -I really like Bragg, but did noticed he right now IS MOT the Carlton Bragg that first walked onto this campus I just hope he can get things turned around whether it’s here or some place else - - -ROCK CHALK ALL DAY LONG BABY
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Yep. this figures. Shaking my damm head.
Carlton, if your gonna smoke pot, do it in between season k?
Guys, Carlton isnt the first player to get caught smoking weed, or have “paraphernalia” He probly wont be the last either. That said, it was a dummass move by Carlton right off his last run in with the Lawrence PD. Granted, he didnt do anything wrong that first time But still! Stupid move.
Kansas isnt likely to legalize marijuana anytime this century but I have to wonder, in Lawrence, do the cops go easy on everybody there with regard to that particular plant just because of the high profile presence of KU Basketball?
I mean, how many KU players in the last 25 years have been busted for having it? I know Brady Morningstar was a HUGE pot head. I wonder if the KU AD has had a talk with the Lawrence PD about unofficially decriminalizing small amounts of the plant or having pipes and junk?
Anywhere else in Kansas, its straight up jail time and a permanent charge on your record if Im not mistaken.
Of course, I havent lived in Kansas since '14…
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@wrwlumpy said:
This is a misdemeanor and in 8 other states, it wouldn’t even be that. The suspension by Self is because he broke team rules. Weed has many medicinal purposes, but strength and conditioning are not part of that. The 21st ranked Mcdonald All-American has not been playing up to his ranking. 6 points and 15 minutes a game has not helped his future. Self is tired of the headaches. Like Greene last year, if you’re not 100% with the program, it will show and you won’t play. We could use a big man desperately going into the post season. We all make mistakes, but if you are hurting the team, you won’t play. He should be intermittently drug tested. smh. Don’t throw it all away.
Thank you Lumpy! Thats what I was looking for.
Seriously people, we cant ahhh, burn the kid at the stake for allegedly having a bong with residue. Its not that big of a deal for Gosh darn darn!
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@Lulufulu you mean our AD?
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@Crimsonorblue22 YAH Him
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I picked up a couple boxes of deep fried twinkies from Walmart. I hope they are not considered paraphernalia, because they will have a similar effect as Carlton’s bong on me.
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@KUSTEVE said:
I picked up a couple boxes of deep fried twinkies from Walmart. I hope they are not considered paraphernalia, because they will have a similar effect as Carlton’s bong on me.
Hahaha
Comatose?
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@BeddieKU23 IF everything goes as planned…
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Wow… I wasn’t expecting the complete confession!
Hey, I’m no altar boy myself. I was just lucky enough to have a coach mentor me from junior high all the way to today!
I really like Carlton a lot. Obviously, he could use a mentor. When you have one you don’t want to screw up because your mentor is like the caring dad you never had, or an extra dad.
Without my mentor, I would have screwed up so bad my basketball uniform might have had stripes!
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This is not meant to be inflammatory, but notice how discussion of something that actually IS defined as illegal (using pot), also seems to bring out all sorts of rationalizations and counterarguments.
From someone’s post above, I like the phrase: “…anywhere else in KS this would be mandatory jail time and a permanent mark on your record…”. The law is the law. Now at the tail end of the process, where the buck stops (standing before the judge), if that judge wants to be lenient and give only probation to a 1st time offender, then so be it. But the enforcement of the Law cannot be rationalized away.
For example, it is most despicable the Detroit police dont even patrol some bombed out sections of that city. It should actually be the total opposite: they should be patrolling in Humvees and in full battle dress, take back the city, restore the rule of law. From a pure logic standpoint, how can this superpower allow pockets of anarchy to exist? It cannot. That is the seeds of how a society crumbles. It becomes much more ominous right here, right now, if we suggest that law enforcement is already too weak to go in and restore law and order. That would mean the un-ravelling of America has already begun.
Mr. Bragg, you didnt come to KU or KS to smoke F’n dope! To borrow a nice quote from Bill Self from April 5, 2008: “You came to Kansas to play in THIS game (against a blueblood in the Final4)”. Well, we just had such a game vs KY, and Carlton was not there.
Some would call it “funny” that someone posted above about pot’s “medicinal uses” (like Carlton is employing it for medicinal uses). Oh, but dont leave out the other scientifically proven fact that pot can hamper one’s drive and motivation. Maybe not for everybody (as about this moment someone recalls some successful professional that is a user and tell us about such examples). So my question back at such rhetoric would be this: does Bragg play like he’s got a Mason-like work ethic? Nope. Does Bragg even play like a McDAA? Nope. Where did his drive and motivation go? Up in smoke? (laughter).
We see NFL players get busted over and over, giving up 5-figure game-checks for each game missed. That’s like financial suicide in a sport where you could have a career-ending injury tomorrow. You could spin that its even more hazardous for Bragg, as he hasnt earned anything yet. Maybe he’s in the process of blowing his “shot” right now, right in front of us? “Suicide before financial birth”…is there such a concept? Because that’s what I’m seeing or dreading for Bragg’s sake…
Carlton Bragg was supposed to be bigger and better than Perry Ellis. But Ellis was definitely smarter than Bragg.
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Very well said!
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I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he’s been high during some of the games this year. Dude’s just been out of it all year.
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Multiple pipes were found one with residue in it. It usually takes 6 moths to a year for the pipes to be tested by the KBI. If the court date is 2 months after the incident then he likely admitted guilt. This is the smart move if he hopes to play this year. If he waited on the pipe to be tested he would be suspended for much longer waiting on the results. Either way he could be dismissed from the team given. If this were the only drama around him I’d say no big deal, but it’s not. The two girlfriend incidents while not entirely his fault do paint him in a negative light and give him a strike, earned or not.
Also his lawyer suppressed the police documents from the assult charges as it would paint Carlton in a very negative light. (drug use again)
I’m willing to bet 50%+ of the basketball players under Self have smoked dope while playing for KU. We all know Mario and Arthur did. I know for a fact others did/do as well. The problem with this isn’t that pot is going to ruin their lives the problem is it is illegal in Kansas and everywhere federally.
Here’s hoping Bragg can figure out that delaying that gratification will lead to much better things on the court than he’ll ever find in the bottom of a bowl.
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@dylans He will get some guidance from Snacks. Hopefully this is a wake up call and he will turn things around soon. I cant see him getting any more free passes after this.
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Bragg’s court date has been changed to March 3rd. I doubt we see him in uniform before.
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@BeddieKU23 imo, he’s done for the year.
