November 16, (THEWILL) – Following an arrest early Sunday morning, two Duke men’s basketball players are facing charges of impaired driving.
Michael Savarino, who is coach Mike Krzyzewski’s grandson, was arrested around 1:10 a.m. on Sunday in Orange County, which is adjacent to Durham County, where Duke is located. He was charged with DWI (Driving While Impaired) and DWI while under the age of 21.
Paolo Banchero, Duke’s leading scorer and the likely first overall choice in the NBA Draft next year, was charged with aiding and abetting DWI.
According to North Carolina State Highway Patrol first sergeant Chris Knox, Savarino was stopped for a stop sign violation near the intersection of Bushy Creek Road and W. Ten Road, just west of Hillsborough. Knox, a State Highway Patrol trooper, determined Savarino was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
Knox noted that Savarino took a breathalyser test and blew an.08 BAC. He was then arrested and released on a written commitment to appear in court on December 9. Banchero, who was cited and released at the scene, has a court hearing set for December 8.
Aiding and abetting DWI in North Carolina is categorised as: “when a person knowingly encourages, aids, advises or instigates another person to drive, or attempt to drive, while impaired. There are numerous different behaviors that this could encompass, but the most common scenario involves a person turning their keys over to an impaired driver, and/or being present as a passenger when the driver is arrested for DWI.”
In his own statement, Krzyzewski said, “We are reviewing a legal matter involving two members of the men’s basketball team. Any further actions as a result of this situation will ultimately be determined by the Vice President/Director of Athletics and University officials.”
On Tuesday, Duke will host Gardner-Webb at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The status of Savarino and Banchero for that game is unknown.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
