Kansas basketball suspends Arterio Morris following rape allegation

After settling a separate case earlier this week, Arterio Morris is once again making headlines. Per “The Kansas City Star,” Kansas men’s basketball has suspended Morris from the team after a rape accusation was made against him.

The rape reportedly occurred in late August at McCarthy Hall on Kansas University’s campus. McCarthy Hall houses the KU men’s basketball players and is located just south of Kansas’ home court, Allen Fieldhouse.

KU men’s basketball players Johnny Furphy and Elmarko Jackson are allegedly listed on the incident report as witnesses. This does not mean the two players mentioned are under investigation, as well. As of now, Morris has not been arrested and a warrant for his arrest has not been issued. The case remains open.

Arterio Morris’ history

The sophomore guard transferred to Kansas this offseason after spending one season at Texas. Standing at 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Morris averaged 4.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per game last season for the Longhorns, who won the Big-12 conference tournament, ending the year with overall record of 29-9.

As mentioned previously, this isn’t Morris’ legal issue. On Thursday, Morris reportedly entered a plea deal to end a misdemeanor assault case against him in Texas, canceling a trial scheduled for October.

In the case, Morris was originally charged with a Class A misdemeanor on allegations he assaulted an ex-girlfriend in the Dallas area in June 2022. This incident allegedly occurred before Morris was enrolled at Texas. Despite the ongoing legal battle, Morris participated in all 38 of Texas’ games last season.

“The initial charge could have carried up to a year in jail,” according to the Associate Press. “After several trial delays, Morris entered a nolo contendere plea, also known as a no contest plea, to a Class C assault misdemeanor and must pay a $362 fine, Morris’ attorney, Justin Moore, said. The plea allows a defendant to accept consequences of the charge without admitting guilt.”

Morris was a five-star recruit and the No. 19 prospect in the Class of 2022, according to On3 Industry Ratings. Kansas head coach Bill Self was thrilled to add Morris to the program this offseason.

“Arterio was highly recruited coming out of high school and we watched him a ton his senior year at Kimball (High),” Self said in a release in May. “When he entered the portal, we went right after him. Arterio is one of the most talented guards in the country who hasn’t scratched the surface of his potential.”