Four Kent State players disciplined for social media post

CLEVELAND (AP) — Four Kent State players, including starting guard Malique Jacobs, have been disciplined by the Mid-American Conference for a social media post in advance of Saturday’s championship game against rival Akron.

The league said forward DJ Johnson has been suspended indefinitely, while Jacobs and reserves Cli’Ron Hornbeak and Julius Rollins will have to sit out the first half of the title game for the Golden Flashes.

“I’m disappointed this occurred,” said MAC commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher. “This does not represent the values of Kent State or the Mid-American Conference. However, I commend the leadership of Kent State for being proactive in addressing this matter and collaborating with my office to bring this situation to resolution.”

The school had no immediate comment.

Jacobs scored a team-high 19 points and had 10 rebounds in Kent State’s win over Ohio in the semifinals on Friday night.

Following the game, the four players posted a video on Snapchat in which they used profane language toward Akron. The video was shared on Twitter.

Kent State and Akron, whose campuses are separated by 10 miles, have one of the nation’s most bitter rivalries. The Golden Flashes won both games during the regular season and are seeking their first NCAA bid since 2017.

The Zips, who upset top-seeded Toledo in the semis, haven’t been in the NCAA field since 2017.

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