Jackson to sit three games

Purdue point guard Lewis Jackson has been suspended for the Boilermakers' first three games.

The sophomore will miss preseason games against California (Pa.) and Kentucky Wesleyan as a result of his arrest in the spring in Illinois.

Meanwhile, the NCAA has suspended Jackson for the regular season opener vs. Cal State Northridge "for playing in an NCAA-sanctioned event without prior approval from his head coach and compliance director," according to a university release issued Tuesday. The event occurred during the summer.

"Lewis has taken responsibility for his actions and understands the consequences associated with them," Coach Matt Painter said in a statement. "He has committed to putting these issues behind him and his focus is on meeting the standard to which we hold members of our program."

On April 12, Jackson was pulled over for speeding in Piatt County, near his hometown of Decatur, Ill., and arrested on multiple charges.

He pleaded guilty to charges on minor consumption of alcohol and possession of drug paraphernalia.

As part of a plea agreement, charges of illegal alcohol possession and possession of less than 2.5 grams of marijuana were dropped.

The plea agreement also dictated he complete community service and spend a year under court supervision.

After the arrest, Painter required Jackson to remain on campus for the duration of the off-season.

"You hope it's part of growing up," Painter said in an interview in recent weeks. "Lewis is a good guy that made a mistake. You try to help guys that make mistakes and hope you learn from it and become a better person because of it. Time will tell. We support Lewis and we want to see him be successful. You have to understand that you have to make better decisions in the future."

With that said, Painter said he's eager to see how Jackson responds.

"Good kids make mistakes, but if you make numerous mistakes ... in the same field, then it's a pattern of behavior and that's a different story. When you make one mistake, you learn from it, move on and you've got to grow up.

"He's no different than a lot of 19-year-old kids. He's got to grow up and has to be more accountable."

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