Montee Ball: Police Reportedly Arrest 3 in Assault on Wisconsin RB

The recent assault case involving Wisconsin running back Montee Ball may have found some closure.

The Madison Police Department has arrested three men in relation to the assault of Ball, which may be connected to a house party on the night of July 27, Jeff Potrykus of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel is reporting. Ball and 15 to 20 of his fellow Badgers were in attendance.

Ball was assaulted by five males around 2:15 a.m. on August 1 near the school's campus. He was taken to the hospital having suffered a concussion and bruised jaw, and was held out the first week of the Badgers' preseason camp.

Wendell J. Venerable, Deonte J. Wilson and Robert A. Wilks, all aged 21 and UW students, were taken into custody Tuesday and charged with "substantial battery party to a crime."

Wisconsin head coach Bret Bielema admitted on a radio show with Jim Rome a couple weeks ago that two players were involved in a fight that night but stated that Ball was not one of them.

"Something briefly went down but it didn't involve Montee in any way," Bielema told Rome. "Two of my other players were involved and I've taken actions with them."

Ball, who finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting last year, was also a first-team All-American, Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Running Back of the Year.

His announcement to skip the 2012 NFL draft and come back for his senior year was met with much happiness in the state of Wisconsin, and the hopes are that he can overcome this incident and help lead the Badgers toward a successful season.