Mississippi State University’s top recruit fell into legal trouble before the fall semester even began, as he was charged with driving under the influence.
As first reported by Will Sammon of the Clarion-Ledger, Nick Weatherspoon was arrested by the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. on Sunday after allegedly running a red light.
Head men’s basketball coach Ben Howland released a public statement on the situation. 
“I’m aware of the situation, and I’ve talked to Nick and his family,” Howland said in a public statement released by MSU. “This is a matter we will handle internally, and at this time I have no further comment.”
After the news broke on Monday, Weatherspoon released a statement on Twitter in the afternoon.
Weatherspoon, a Canton, Mississippi native, is entering his freshman year at Mississippi State University and was the top basketball recruit in the state last year. He was also rated as a five-star recruit by 247sports.com and was ranked 23rd nationally among high school players last year.
He is the younger brother of Quinndary Weatherspoon, a junior guard, who averaged 16.5 points a game last season, which led the team.
Nick Weatherspoon enrolled in July and is expected to be an instant-impact freshman this season for a team that missed the post-season last year.
Contact Taylor Rayburn at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter.