UCLA basketball player Mac Etienne entered a not guilty plea on his misdemeanor assault charge during a telephone arraignment Thursday in Pima County Justice Court, his attorney, Aaron Reed, told the Star.
University of Arizona police cited Etienne with a charge of "assault-touch with intent to provoke" after he was both caught on video and by a UAPD officer as spitting at the crowd he walked off the court following UA’s 76-66 win over UCLA at McKale Center on Feb. 3.
Official records at Pima County Justice Court did not reflect the plea as of Thursday afternoon, but they did specify Etienne has been scheduled for a case management conference on May 27. Etienne could face a diversion penalty if found guilty, among other possibilities.
Etienne, who reclassified to play part of the 2020-21 season as a freshman, sat out this season as a sophomore after tearing an ACL in November. On Feb. 3, he sat on the Bruins’ bench at McKale Center wearing a T-shirt and pants.
