Plea clarifies Willis’ future

Three months after Tre'Von Willis was jailed for allegedly choking a female friend, the UNLV basketball star was free to tell his side of the story.

Willis' eventful Tuesday started when he agreed to a plea deal in Henderson Justice Court in the morning. He expressed remorse for the ordeal during an afternoon news conference at the Thomas & Mack Center. Finally, he listened as coach Lon Kruger announced details of a suspension.

Kruger said Willis is suspended for 10 percent of the season, a minimum of three games. He also said the senior guard must meet strict behavioral guidelines or the suspension could be longer.

"I did make a mistake. It's tremendously embarrassing," Willis said. "I just feel awful about the last few months and the events that have taken place. I really would like to apologize to everybody."

Willis, of Fresno, Calif., was UNLV's leading scorer last season, averaging 17.2 points per game. He was voted first-team All-Mountain West Conference and named to the league's all-defensive team.

Willis, 22, was arrested June 29 after Skye Sanders, 28, told police he choked her during an argument at her apartment. He faced charges of felony domestic battery by strangulation, felony grand larceny for stealing Sanders' cell phone, and misdemeanor coercion.

Willis and his attorney, Steve Wolfson, appeared in court, and according to terms of the agreement, Willis pleaded no contest to misdemeanor battery-domestic violence. He received a 90-day jail sentence, suspended as long as he stays out of trouble for one year. He must pay a $340 fine, perform 100 hours of community service, attend six months of domestic violence counseling and have no contact with the victim.

According to the police report, the incident occurred when Willis pushed Sanders on her back when she was sitting on a bed. She was choked for about three minutes, the report said, and when Willis stopped choking Sanders with both hands, he placed his right forearm across her throat so she couldn't breathe.

"No choking took place," Willis said, explaining his account of the incident.

"I originally agreed to go over to the young lady's house. She had promised me a little bit of money," he said. "We started to argue a little bit, and from then I grabbed her purse off of the nightstand. That's when she tried to grab the purse from me, and that's when I grabbed her hand.

"I knew it was wrong. From there I dumped the contents of the purse out onto the bed, and there was no money in it, and then I exited the apartment.

"It was a he-said, she-said case. I take full responsibility for what happened. I should have never been there."

Kruger said Willis showed "poor judgment" and will "pay a price" beyond the court-ordered penalties.

"I think obviously Tre has recognized that he made a horrible mistake," Kruger said. "He's most embarrassed that he made contact in grabbing the young lady's hand. He felt badly that he let his mom down.

"The program has been damaged by Tre's actions. This is not insignificant."

Willis will begin practicing with the Rebels on Oct. 15. UNLV is scheduled to play exhibition games against Grand Canyon on Nov. 2 and Washburn (Kan.) on Nov. 9 before hosting UC Riverside in the Nov. 12 regular-season opener at the Thomas & Mack.

Kruger said the minimum three-game suspension includes exhibitions, so Willis could be cleared to play when the Rebels host Southeastern Louisiana on Nov. 17. UNLV's most important early-season game is against Wisconsin on Nov. 20.

Eric Toliver, UNLV associate athletic director for administration and compliance, researched what is a typical penalty for a misdemeanor act, Kruger said.

"Ten percent (of the season's games) is just a starting point," Kruger said. "We don't want to err on the light side nor too far on the harsh side. Based on how he conducts himself during the next six to eight weeks, between now and the start of the season, we'll see if it goes beyond 10 percent.

"Tre understands the challenge that lies ahead. He's got a lot of work to do. He will be held to a very high standard."

The Rebels' offseason has been turbulent. Senior forward Matt Shaw's career ended April 27, when it was announced he failed a random drug test at the NCAA Tournament and was issued a one-year suspension.

"Our program is not tolerant of things that have happened this past spring and summer," Kruger said. "We're all on a shorter leash."

Willis, who transferred from Memphis in June 2007, said he feared his UNLV career was in jeopardy.

"I've thought about everything," he said. "I don't think I can be sorry enough. This was a big distraction for everybody.

"There hasn't been a lot of good news for me these past couple months, so I think this is a time where I would like to move forward and kind of get over this process. I never would have thought I would be in a position that I was in or that I'm in now."

Francis McCabe contributed to this report. Contact sports reporter Matt Youmans at myoumans@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2907.