UNLV’s Dwayne Morgan suspended after arrest, disorderly conduct charge

UNLV forward Dwayne Morgan was suspended from the basketball team Wednesday after his arrest last weekend.

He was arrested early Saturday for disorderly conduct after a dispute with a cabdriver, the Metropolitan Police Department said.

Police said Morgan, 21, is charged with disorderly conduct, a misdemeanor. He was booked and received a summons to appear in court at a later date.

“We are aware of the situation regarding UNLV men’s basketball student-athlete Dwayne Morgan and are continuing to gather all of the facts,” the UNLV athletic department said in a statement. “Coach (Marvin) Menzies has met with Dwayne, and he has been suspended indefinitely from all basketball activities.”

Menzies said the athletic department’s statement would stand as his own.

With the suspension coming in the offseason, it doesn’t carry the weight of missing games. But by taking the action and issuing a statement, UNLV can show what happened wouldn’t be ignored.

Morgan, a 6-foot 8-inch forward, has started 32 career games, including six last season in which he averaged 9.4 points and 7.3 rebounds. But shoulder and hip injuries ended his season prematurely, and UNLV had hoped to get an extra season of eligibility approved by the NCAA. If that happens, Morgan will be listed as a junior next season.

The Rebels are one player over the scholarship limit, and Menzies will need to make some roster decisions. Whether those decisions involve Morgan remain to be seen, but the timing of the arrest comes at a particularly bad time for him.

Morgan was a nationally ranked recruit out of Baltimore when he committed to the Rebels in March 2013.

He started four games and played in 33 as a freshman in the 2014-15 season, averaging 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds. He started 22 of the 27 games he played in the following season, averaging 5.5 points and 4.7 rebounds.

Last season, Morgan showed the athleticism that made him a top recruit before injuries forced him to shut down.

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The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com. Follow @markanderson65 on Twitter.