Bubu Palo Charged With Sexual Assault

Iowa State Cyclones’ men’s basketball guard, Yempabou “Bubu” Palo, and Spencer Cruise, turned themselves in to police this morning as they face second-degree sexual abuse charges.

Mar 15, 2012; Louisville, KY, USA; Iowa State Cyclones guard Bubu Palo (1) dribbles against Connecticut Huskies guard Ryan Boatright (11) during the second half in the second round of the 2012 NCAA men

After surrendering, the judge granted Palo a pre-trial release and cannot contact the undisclosed victim. Due to already being on probation when the crime occured, Cruise is being held with a $25,000 bond. Both are 21 years old.

The incident occured back during the early hours of May 18th, according to a female witness in the Des Moines Register report. She was offered a ride home by both Palo and Cruise but instead was taken to a different home. She then saw the two committing “a sex act by force and against the victim’s will,” according to the police report. The house is owned by Cruise’s family in Ames.

Also in the DMR report, head coach Fred Hoiberg has stated today that the junior guard has been “suspended indefinitely” and team officials will be watching the events unfold “before making further decisions regarding Palo’s status.”

It’s an unfortunate probable conclusion to Palo’s career with the Cyclones. He came on as a walk-on two years ago, averaging 14.2 minutes and 3.8 points a game. Season totals include making 12 three-pointers and collecting 56 rebounds. After receiving a scholarship last season, he had an injury that hampered his statistics, but still was beloved by fans when checking into games and working hard on the court.

Brian Spaen is the lead editor for Clones Confidential. Keep up with the latest sports fails and disdain toward the Big Ten by following him on Twitter.

Read his other work on the Oregon Ducks blog, Autzen Zoo, and Lacrosse the Web.