College Basketball Star Teshaun Hightower Charged With Murder
Tulane guard Teshaun Hightower was arrested and charged with murder Saturday for his involvement in a homicide earlier this month in Stockbridge, Ga. The star player was charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and battery. Tulane released Hightower from the team Sunday afternoon.
Teshaun Hightower was Tulane’s leading scorer in 2019
Hightower wasn’t just an unknown college basketball player last season. He was Tulane’s leading scorer in 2019. The guard averaged 15.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in his lone season at Tulane.
Hightower led Tulane to a 12-18 record last year. In the team’s three biggest wins over Utah, Cincinnati, and SMU, Hightower led the Green Wave in scoring in all three.
Tulane was not the first stop of his college career, however. Hightower originally started at Georgia in 2017. He came off the bench for the majority of his freshman year, but he increased his starts from three to 17 in his sophomore season.
Hightower averaged just 6.6 points per game for the Bulldogs in 2018, but he never found his place with the program. He decided to leave Georgia and transfer to Tulane prior to his junior year.
Hightower was arrested and charged with murder on Saturday
Hightower was arrested Saturday and charged with felony murder, along with three other charges. According to a Facebook post from the Henry County Police Department, Hightower and five other men were involved in a homicide near Hightower’s hometown in Georgia earlier this month.
According to a separate Facebook post, the murder reportedly occurred on April 8 in Stockbridge, and the victim was a 24-year-old male. He was shot and taken to a hospital after the incident, but he died from his wounds soon after.
Hightower’s brother, Jeffery, was also reportedly involved in the murder. He was arrested on Saturday along with Teshaun and three other suspects.
Hightower was expected to declare for the 2020 NBA draft
Hightower’s breakout season at Tulane made him a possible 2020 NBA draft pick. He declared for the draft on April 18. Hightower was expected to test the NBA waters while retaining his college eligibility. If he didn’t generate enough interest among NBA teams, Hightower could’ve returned to school for his senior year.
Whether he entered the draft this year or waited for 2021, Hightower at least had NBA buzz attached to his name. Anyone who leads their team in scoring in a top conference deserves NBA consideration.
Hightower was a 6-foot-5 guard who could rebound and push the pace. He shot 41 percent as a junior for the Green Wave. Who knows what the future might’ve held for the promising talent.
We’ll never know what Hightower was capable of at the next level. It’s a sad reality when talented players throw away their playing careers, but it’s even worse for the 24-year-old victim and his family. Hightower’s poor choices ended a life far too early, and he deserves to never see the court again.
