Gopher Basketball Player Released From Jail, Charges Deferred

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Gopher men's basketball player is out of jail but his legal worries are not yet over.

Reggie Lynch, 21, was arrested on campus early Sunday morning for an alleged rape in his dorm room.

By law, prosecutors have only 36 hours to charge an inmate or release them from custody. Rather than seek an extension and keep Lynch jailed, Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman decided to defer charges up to 90 days, allowing for a more complete investigation.

What happened in the dorm room inside Wilkins Hall late Saturday night to early Sunday morning remains unknown.  Freeman's office deferred a decision on formal charges, saying that more investigation is needed.

The office issued a written statement, saying, "there is no hard deadline on when that work has to be finished, but it is generally no longer than 90 days."

With an arm around his mother's shoulder, escorted by family and counsel, the 21-year old was silent as he left the Hennepin County jail shortly after 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Lynch ignored reporter's questions as to what happened that led up to the accusations of criminal sexual conduct, or about his future with the University of Minnesota men's basketball program.

The former Edina High School player transferred to the Gophers in 2015 and by NCAA rules had to sit out the season. He was expected to play a leading role in reviving a troubled basketball program in the upcoming 2016-17 season.

According to the initial call, a 19-year-old female reported the alleged rape happened in Lynch's dorm room at 2:20 a.m. Sunday.

Late Tuesday afternoon, coach Richard Pitino released a statement into the Lynch matter, saying in part,  "I am deeply disappointed with the recent allegations and the impact the situation has on all involved."

He confirmed that Lynch will remain suspended from the team pending an outcome of the investigation.