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The three UCLA basketball players questioned over shoplifting allegations in Hangzhou, China, could face a lengthy legal limbo depending on the actions of authorities handling their case, an expert in Chinese law said Wednesday.

From left to right, UCLA basketball players Jalen Hill, LiAngelo Ball and Cody Riley are seen in photos provided by the university.
From left to right, UCLA basketball players Jalen Hill, LiAngelo Ball and Cody Riley are seen in photos provided by the university.

Freshmen LiAngelo Ball, Cody Riley and Jalen Hill have remained in a hotel in Hangzhou to await further developments in the legal process while their Bruins teammates traveled to Shanghai for the team’s season opener Friday against Georgia Tech, according to a person close to the situation who was not authorized to publicly disclose that information.

The trio will not play against the Yellow Jackets and could miss additional games. Chinese authorities have up to 37 days before deciding whether to obtain official approval for an arrest, said Margaret K. Lewis, a Seton Hall professor of law specializing in the Chinese legal system.

That doesn’t mean that authorities would necessarily take that long in a case that reportedly involves merchandise taken from a Louis Vuitton store next to the team hotel.

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