IU recruit does jail time

IU basketball recruit Bud Mackey spent one night in jail this weekend after being arrested at school Friday on suspicion of cocaine trafficking. \nMackey, 18, was booked into the Scott County Detention Center in Kentucky at 5 p.m. Friday on preliminary charges of first degree trafficking in a controlled substance, first offense, a class C felony; and trafficking in a controlled substance within 1,000 yards of a school, a class D felony. Mackey posted $10,000 bail and was released from jail at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, said Scott County Detention Center Assistant Supervisor Paul Abney. \nA class C felony is punishable by a five- to 10-year prison sentence, and a Class D felony is punishable by a one- to five-year prison sentence, according to Kentucky Revised Statutes. Both offenses would carry a $1,000 to $10,000 fine.\nMackey’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16.\nMackey, a senior at Scott County High School in Georgetown, Ky., surprised many last October when he spurned his home-state school, the University of Kentucky, and verbally committed to play at IU. The 6-foot-4 guard led Scott County to the state championship last year and was on the short list of favorites in the running for Kentucky’s Mr. Basketball award. He averaged 18.3 points per game as a junior.\nMackey endeared himself to Hoosier fans this March by sporting IU socks during the Kentucky high school state championship game, which was held in Rupp Arena, home of rival Kentucky. \nMany praised Mackey’s maturity in the way he responded to reporters’ questions with “yes, sir” and “no, sir” answers.\nThe Lexington Herald Leader reported Mackey was arrested at school Friday afternoon. \nScott County basketball coach Billy Hicks told the newspaper that school officials looked for Mackey after he did not show up for an afternoon English class. \nOfficials found Mackey, smelling of marijuana, near the school building, and police later found cocaine in his possession, the newspaper reported. \n“I’m just hoping and praying ... you hope it’s not true,” Hicks told the Herald Leader. “You hope when it all shakes out there’s a logical explanation.”\nNCAA rules prohibit college coaches from talking about prospects until they sign a national letter of intent, which cannot happen until November.\nHicks told the Herald Leader he had talked to IU men’s basketball coach Kelvin Sampson about Mackey’s arrest. \n“He’s floored,” Hicks said.