Matt Thomas Charged With OWI

Sophomore guard Matt Thomas, 19, was arrested by Ames police this morning shortly before 2 a.m. and charged with Operating While Intoxicated. It is his first offense. View his entry in the arrest report here.

Thomas's bond totaled $1,300 -- a thousand for the OWI and $300 for an "improper brake light."

We're just over two months to the day since forward Abdel Nader was arrested and charged with his OWI, an offense that still has him suspended for an indefinite amount of time. Nader pleaded not guilty early last month and will appear in court on June 24.

Fred Hoiberg suspended Nader the day following his arrest, so expect swift action for Thomas as well.

I can't stress this enough: the non-basketball consequences of driving drunk will always outweigh the toll it could take on the court, but it's a toll worth addressing. Nader and Thomas -- both (certainly Nader) vying for spots in the starting five -- will both miss time to start the 2014-15 season.

Precedents for OWI suspensions across college basketball do vary, but a safe expectation could be roughly three games. Indiana forward Hanner Perea was booked on similar charges on Feb. 14 and missed his next three between Feb. 15-23 before being reinstated for the Hoosiers game at Wisconsin on the 25th.

However heavy the hammer of justice turns out to be, it appears the start of the season will be a little further away for Thomas.

Swallow your pride and call a cab, guys.