MANHATTAN, Kan. – The following statement was released by director of athletics Gene Taylor on Wednesday night (December 6) regarding senior men’s basketball player Nae’Qwan Tomlin.

“We have heard the concerns and the questions from K-State fans and friends around Nae’Qwan Tomlin’s indefinite suspension from the men’s basketball team. Situations like these are difficult. We know you want answers, but federal privacy laws largely prohibit the University and K-State Athletics from publicly discussing specific information around circumstances like this. Those laws are in place to protect our student-athletes, and more specifically in this instance, to protect Nae’Qwan as he is working through a process designed to support him and lift him out of a difficult time. Allowing for that space and time is critical, but in today’s digital age, that unfortunately can lead to the spread of rumors and misinformation — and in this case, much of the information on social media is incorrect.

I have been monitoring this situation and overseeing Nae’Qwan’s suspension with Coach Tang’s involvement. While we cannot share the specifics that have led to this outcome due to the reasons stated above, K-State Athletics can now share that Nae’Qwan Tomlin will no longer be able to continue with the K-State men’s basketball team. This decision was not made lightly by me, but it is the decision warranted by the circumstances that brought it to bear.

We appreciate your passion for our men’s basketball team and for Nae’Qwan. Please know that together, we stand united to do what is best for this young man’s personal development and growth — and to do what is best to uphold the values of our teams and our university at large.”

This will be the only comment that will be issued from Kansas State University and K-State Athletics.

How to follow the ‘Cats: For complete information on K-State men’s basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team’s social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.