Timing is everything, and the timing of senior Bryce Dejean-Jones’ arrest could not have been worse for ISU basketball.

On the eve of one of Iowa State’s most important games of the season against its bitter rival the Iowa Hawkeyes, ISU men’s basketball coach Fred Hoiberg announced that Dejean-Jones, his team’s second-leading scorer, would be absent due to a one-game suspension.

“After sitting down and having numerous conversations with people, we feel that the best move at this time for Bryce, for our team, is to suspend him for tomorrow night’s game,” Hoiberg said.

Dejean-Jones was arrested and charged with three misdemeanors as a result of a noise complaint that came into the Ames police department in the early morning hours of Dec. 11. 

Two of the misdemeanors, a noise ordinance and a nuisance party violation, are both simple misdemeanors.

The third charge, “hosting a drug house,” which in this case means knowingly allowing marijuana use in your residence, is a serious misdemeanor.

Story County Attorney Stephen Holmes said that the third and most serious charge was dropped due to a lack of probable cause, but that it could be refiled if new evidence is obtained.

The elimination of the serious misdemeanor changed the circumstances surrounding Dejean-Jones’ punishment, taking it out of the jurisdiction of the ISU code of conduct and placing the decision firmly in the hands of Hoiberg. 

“It is not a code of conduct issue with Iowa State University,” Hoiberg said. “It is a decision that I have come to based on the numerous conversations that I have had.”

Hoiberg was unwilling to elaborate on why he decided to move forward with a suspension despite the ISU code of conduct not demanding one. 

“I am not going to get into specifics on…exactly how we came to this conclusion,” Hoiberg said. “I just felt after all the information that I gathered that this was the right thing to do.”

The history of Dejean-Jones conduct in the apartment building may have played a role in Hoiberg’s choice to suspend, but Hoiberg declined comment on the possibility.

The rest of the ISU players stood behind their coach, deferring to his judgment and keeping their opinions close in favor of focusing on the upcoming bout with Iowa. 

“We are still prepping for Iowa. I do not really have any comment on the situation. It is unfortunate but we have a game to get ready for,” said junior Georges Niang. “We are just real supportive of coach’s decision and whatever he decided to do we are going to go along with it.”

Niang said that Dejean-Jones attended practice Dec. 11, but Niang added that he had not spoken to his suspended teammate. 

Hoiberg also decided to remain mute on the topic of his personal discussion with Dejean-Jones as well as comments made by Dejean-Jones’ neighbor, Matt White.

White told the Iowa State Daily that he had called the police on more than a dozen occasions to complain about different issues he and other tenants were having with Dejean-Jones and his roommate, redshirt junior Abdel Nader.

White said he sat down to a meeting with Hoiberg, Dejean-Jones, Nader and officer Eric Snyder of the Ames police department to discuss the issues. Hoiberg refused to comment on what was said in that meeting or confirm that a meeting took place.

As far as the game against Iowa is concerned, Hoiberg said a decision will be made after shoot-around Dec. 12 as to who will step into the starting lineup in Dejean-Jones’ stead. 

“Going in there, it is an extremely hostile environment. They are playing great basketball right now,” Hoiberg said. “We are down a very important piece in this game so somebody is going to have to step up.”

Much of the load left by Dejean-Jones’ absence will be filled by junior Naz Long as well as sophomore Matt Thomas, who has functioned as the sixth man for the Cyclones since returning from a suspension of his own earlier in the season. 

“It was tough. It was tough for the team,” Long said of Dejean-Jones’ suspension. “The fact that he is gone, I feel like I have got to do a little bit more, but I have been trying to do a little bit more from the beginning of the season.”

Long said that he has no hard feelings towards Dejean-Jones.

“I love Bryce,” Long said. “That is all there is to it. I would not say that if i did not mean it. He is a great teammate. I hang out with him a lot off the court and I know he is a great dude.”

Dejean-Jones will travel with the team to attend the Cy-Hawk Series as a spectator. Tip-off against Iowa is set for 7 p.m. Dec. 12 in Iowa City.