Staats Battle, a reserve on N.C. State's basketball team, was arrested for driving while impaired on Jan. 1, according to the Raleigh Police Department.
Battle, who's from Raleigh, was charged in Wake County with driving while impaired and for being under the legal drinking age and driving after consuming alcohol, according to court documents. Battle, whose given name is William Richardson Staats, is 19. He has a court date set for Feb. 6 in Wake County.
Battle was stopped near Glenwood Ave. close to downtown Raleigh around 2 a.m. on Jan. 1, according to a spokesman for the RPD.
"We are aware of this unfortunate incident and have talked to Staats and his parents about it," N.C. State coach Mark Gottfried said in a statement released by the school. "Any further issue would result in his dismissal from the team."
Battle, a walk-on who played his prep ball at Broughton, has not played in the past two games. He traveled to Boston College last Saturday but did not dress for the game. He did not dress for N.C. State's game with Georgia Tech on Wednesday, either. It's unclear whether Battle's absence is related to the arrest.
Battle played one minute in N.C. State's 89-68 win over UNC-Greensboro at PNC Arena in Raleigh on Dec. 31.
Battle, a 6-6 sophomore guard, has played in seven games this season and has five points in 10 minutes. He gained a measure of Internet fame last March when he won ESPN's "Coolest Name in the Tourney" online contest.
Comments
Staats is a GREAT kid!
Mon, 02/18/2013 - 19:23 — Wolfpacknation85Staats is a great kid he only had 1 beer give him a break!! This is the only mistake he has ever made and if he was 21 this wouldnt of even happened, give the kid a break, he is an awesome person with the highest gpa on the team, he does not have drinking problems all of yall dont even know him, I would love to be even close to as good of a person as Staats is
minimum punishment
Fri, 01/11/2013 - 10:40 — JPDOhioRecind that "coolest name" trophy. If you don't use your real name, you shouldn't get an award for a made-up one. Just saying.
It's the name he has used
Tue, 02/19/2013 - 12:19 — towermanIt's the name he has used all of his life. I know dozens of men and women who use their middle name.
Besides half the parents of basketball players should have their naming rights revoked..case in point Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.