Virginia Tech's Ty Outlaw will play vs. Duke after passing drug test
Virginia Tech will have guard Ty Outlaw available for Friday night’s Sweet 16 matchup against Duke.
Outlaw, a senior who is the team’s top 3-point shooter, is facing a possession of marijuana charge after police said they found marijuana in his Blacksburg, Virginia, apartment while the Hokies were in California for the first round of the NCAA tournament.
In a statement released Thursday, Virginia Tech head coach Buzz Williams said Outlaw was administered and passed a drug test. That played a part in the athletic department’s decision to allow him to play against the top-seeded Blue Devils.
Below is Williams’ statement in full:
“I appreciate that there are questions relative to Ty Outlaw and his status. Ty has given me permission to share this information. The disturbance that led to the search warrant occurred while Ty and our team were in California last week. While Ty and our team were still in California, the authorities executed the search. Upon our return to Blacksburg on Monday evening, Ty became aware of the situation and was fully cooperative and transparent with local authorities and me.
“After gathering more information, we decided that an outside agency should perform a drug test on Ty prior to us departing campus on Wednesday and that test came back negative. After discussion with our Director of Athletics Whit Babcock and our athletics administration in accordance with our policies and procedures, we are following our departmental protocol involving misdemeanors.
“With that information in mind we intend to play Ty on Friday evening. We will continue to let the process play out and that’s all I can say at this time. If information changes we will respond appropriately according to our policies.”
Outlaw’s apartment was searched March 21, a day before the Hokies knocked off St. Louis in the tournament’s opening round in San Jose. The team arrived in California on March 20. Police seized “one white pill, two yellow capsules, an electronic vape cartridge and green plant material from the apartment,” per the Roanoke Times.
A summons was issued to Outlaw when the team returned to Virginia following a second-round win over Liberty.
Outlaw, a sixth-year senior who missed two seasons due to injuries, is averaging 8.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 45.6 percent from 3-point distance. Outlaw had seven points and seven rebounds in the first round and added 10 points and 11 rebounds, his first career double-double, in the victory over Liberty.
In one of the best matchups of the Sweet 16, the Hokies, the No. 4 seed in the East region, will tip off against top-seeded Duke at 9:39 p.m. ET Friday night in Washington D.C.
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