Who is Brandon Knapper? What we know so far about referee accused of punching Oak Hills coach in HS basketball game

Brandon Knapper has recently found himself in the limelight following a controversial incident with the coach of Oak Hills High School. Knapper was a referee during a high school match between Arlington and Oak Hills on Oct. 21 when he landed several hits on Oak Hills coach Rob Alexander.

With that said, who is Brandon Knapper? The 25-year-old is best known for his collegiate basketball career. Before committing to Cal State San Bernardino, Knapper played two seasons for the West Virginia Mountaineers. At West Virginia, he averaged 3.8 points (31.9% shooting, including 29.2% from 3-point range).

After his time with the Mountaineers, Knapper played briefly with the Eastern Kentucky Colonels and averaged 18.3 points (38.3% shooting, including 31.4% from 3-point range) and 3.0 rebounds.

After moving to Cal State San Bernardino, he played two seasons and put up 20.1 points (41.8% shooting, including 38.3% from 3-point range), 3.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

However, after five collegiate seasons, Knapper went undrafted in the 2023 NBA draft as he faced stiff competition within his draft pool.

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Brandon Knapper got charged for charges of battery

Following the incident with Oak Hills High School coach Rob Alexander, Brandon Knapper was charged with battery, which caused injuries to Alexander from the assault.

TMZ uploaded the footage of the altercation, which saw Knapper approach Alexander and appear to have exchanged words. Following this interaction, Brandon Knapper went into landing punches and jabs even when the high school coach was already down on the ground.

According to Schuyler Callihan from Sports Illustrated's "Fan Nation," Knapper was released last Wednesday with a bail of $25,000. However, he is still scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 3, as Rob Alexander was firm with his request for Knapper's prosecution.

Additionally, Oak Hills Hesperia Unified School District released a statement to address the situation and provide an update on Rob Alexander:

"The District is thankful for the swift and decisive action taken by the event promoters and local law enforcement. We are also happy to report that Coach Alexander is in good spirits and looking forward to returning to coaching and teaching as soon as possible.

"We have the utmost confidence that law enforcement, CIF and Oak Hills High School, with the support of the District, will investigate the incident thoroughly and handle it appropriately."

It remains to be seen what will come of the undrafted NBA prospect following this problematic incident.