On Friday, the Auburn men’s basketball team faced an unusual situation when an altercation between two players led to the team plane turning over mid-flight. Auburn, ranked No. 11 in the AP poll, was on its way to take on Houston, ranked No. 4, and the game was scheduled to take place Saturday evening.
The two players, identified by multiple reports as freshman Jahki Howard and senior Ja’Heim Hudson, stayed behind when the team traveled to Houston later on Friday. Both Howard and Hudson are reserves, but played key minutes in Auburn’s season opener against Vermont earlier this week.
The physical altercation, originally categorized as “horse play,” was so serious that the pilots decided to abandon the flight plan. The flight reportedly traveled for 45 minutes before returning home.
Air traffic control audio shows that a pilot told air traffic controllers that “we have a bunch of basketball players fighting” while still in Alabama airspace. Pilots told air traffic controllers that “clothing was torn” during the altercation and that police were on the ground when the plane landed.
Auburn University has not yet released an official statement on the incident.
The Tigers and Cougars face off at 9:30 PM ET at the Toyota Center, home of the Houston Rockets.
