A Texas Tech football recruit has been dismissed from the team before his first collegiate game after an incident involving Red Raiders women’s basketball star Amber Battle.
Nigel Bethel II, an incoming freshman cornerback from Miami, Fla., punched Battle in the face Saturday during a pickup basketball game at Texas Tech’s student rec center. The punch broke a bone in Battle’s face, according to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, and she is expected to undergo surgery.
The school’s athletic department released a statement Sunday announcing Bethel’s dismissal, stating that it “has a zero tolerance policy on this type of behavior.”
Battle was the Lady Raiders’ leading scorer and rebounder as a junior last season, averaging 16.4 points and 7.4 boards per game. After the incident, the Albuquerque, N.M., native tweeted, “Pray for me y’all.”
Photo via Twitter/@ReedHamilton_
