Princeton senior guard Devin Cannady has taken a leave of absence from the university and will not play for the remainder of the season, the Daily Princetonian reported Friday.
“Devin Cannady has decided to take a voluntary leave of absence from school to attend to a personal matter and, consequently, will not be playing basketball for the remainder of the season. He has our full support,” Deputy University Spokesperson Mike Hotchkiss wrote in a statement.
The news comes after Cannady was arrested in January following an alleged confrontation with customers and police at a local Wawa.
Cannady was initially charged with aggravated assault but now faces lesser charges of simple assault, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, and being under the influence without a prescription, according to the Daily Princetonian, which also noted that the Princeton Municipal Court has adjourned his case until Monday.
Cannady was reinstated after a three-game suspension levied by the university, playing in four games before Friday’s announcement but missing Princeton’s two games last weekend for undisclosed reasons.
Cannady Friday on Twitter gave thanks to members of Princeton Athletics for their support:
I’d like to thank our AD, the athletic department, and the coaching staff for supporting me through this tough time. While it saddens me that I’ll no longer suit up for the program that I gave my all to, they will have my continued support as they pursue another Ivy League Title. https://t.co/KGjACEK9hg
— Devin Cannady 🍬 (@devin_cannady3) March 1, 2019
Cannady played in 104 games for the Tigers. He was named an honorable mention All-Ivy in the team’s conference title-winning 2016-17 season after averaging 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game. Last year, Cannady totaled 16.7 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game and was a conference second-team selection.
Cannady scored in double figures in 14 of the 16 games he played as a senior, averaging 18.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals per contest.
We may not know the full story of this tragic episode for a long time. Devin will be able to return to school to earn his Princeton degree which will be more important than finishing second in career scoring. I hope he does that. No one in the program would ever suggest that the team did not need what Devin brought to the floor every night. But these guys have worked to not let this loss ruin their season. Ryan Schwieger is fast becoming the “go to guy” for three point production. Every team in the League has had to deal with injuries and/or “personal issues” to starting players at one time or another. Mitch Henderson’s club has proved itself to be especially resilient. Ivy record with Devin: 3-3, without him: 5-0. Tonight the Tigers square off against the Crimson in Cambridge in a battle that will probably determine which of these teams can avoid the fourth seeding in Ivy Madness. Might be an omen that Henderson’s lone win in that gym occurred on a night when Cannady failed to score even one point. He certainly won’t tonight.
I don’t do Twitter. But, if you read this, Devin, I want you to know that that there are many of us who have had a trying situation in our past who support you. The most important thing is to deal with the problem in a positive manner and move on as a better person. You are a Tiger and anyone with any decency supports you. Good luck going forward and thank you for the many thrills you have given us as a member of the Princeton basketball family. I look forward to meeting you someday at a Princeton Reunion when you can look back on this time as a learning experience along the way to a great future.
I just want to wish Devin and his family well during this incredibly difficult time. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting Devin once and found him to be a terrific, poised, intelligent young man. We all have had the chance to hear him interviewed from time-to-time and he has always handled himself with class and maturity. Of course, as a basketball player he is an incandescent talent who brings joy to the sport and others. My hunch is that he will bounce back from this and go on to accomplish great things in his life. Go Tigers!