Kansas coach Bill Self and St. John’s coach Chris Mullin are in a situation with the NCAA Eligibility Center reminiscent of waiting at the DMV to have your number called, only the process is stuck on the number ahead.
“What’s taking so long?” they are asking.
Self has long awaited the academic eligibility decision on freshman center Cheick Diallo while Mullin continues to bite on his fingernails waiting for the verdict on guard Marcus LoVett. Self was hopeful that Diallo could be cleared to play against Pittsburg State last week but that opportunity came and went with no word from the NCAA Eligibility Center, previously known as the NCAA Clearinghouse.
“There wasn’t progress but there were certainly talks,” Self told KUSports.com said after the Pittsburg State game. “The talks are ongoing. The process is still playing itself out. I was very disappointed for Cheick that we let him know at 4 o’clock today he wouldn’t be suited up, but that’s the nature of the business. “Certainly I’m hopeful everybody is working diligently to try to resolve this in the earliest manner it can possibly be resolved. It’s disappointing but one in which it wasn’t from a lack of effort today on our part, I’ll say that.”
Mullin, involved with the NBA throughout most of his career, is getting his first taste of what it’s like as a college coach to clear academic hurdles of a recruit.
“It’s absurd and I’m 100 percent frustrated,” Mullin said after his team beat Sonoma State in an exhibition last Saturday. “I’m thinking about flying to (the NCAA headquarters in) Indianapolis myself. I have some friends there with the Pacers. I may fly to Indianapolis myself to investigate.”
“He deserves to play,” Mullin continued. “The kid has done everything (he was required to do to become eligible).”
“The NCAA Eligibility Center reportedly could take up to six months from when the registration process starts to determine the status of an incoming athlete.”
The New York Post reported that the delay involving LoVett stems from his transient high school career that included stops at three high schools in California and Chicago.
At the core of the issue for Diallo is the three years he attended Our Savior New American on Long Island, N.Y. The school is under investigation by the NCAA for its academic standards. St. John’s freshman forward Kassoum Yakwe, who is also awaiting word on his eligibility, attended that school as well. Yakwe didn’t make his college decision until late August, so the delay in his situation is not as frustrating for Mullin.
Self and Mullin can be optimistic inasmuch as Pittsburgh freshman guard Damon Wilson, who also attended Our Savior New American, was cleared to play by the NCAA Eligibility Center. But that was two long months ago in early September. The NCAA Eligibility Center reportedly could take up to six months from when the registration process starts to determine the status of an incoming athlete. An appeal can prolong the final decision a few weeks longer.
The criteria an incoming athlete must meet: Graduation from high school, successful completion of accredited core courses, minimum 2.00 GPA in core courses and minimum qualifying score on the ACT or SAT college entrance exams. The NCAA is reportedly investigating Our Savior New American for the validity of its core courses.
Diallo is speculated by the Kansas media to be going through an appeal process after his eligibility was denied by the NCAA Eligibility Center. Self declined to comment if the process is in the appeal stage, saying that he wants to “respect the process.”
“The thing about it is it may be a long time,” Self said. “It could be a long time just because if there’s a ruling … if it does not go the way you want, there are numerous opportunities you have to fight (in an appeal).”
Diallo, LoVett and Yakwe are allowed to practice with their teams while awaiting the decision from the NCAA Eligibility Center. That could be good or bad depending on how Self and Mullin look at it so close to the regular season beginning this week. The coaches must work toward finalizing a rotation but at the same time incorporate these freshmen into their game plan in case a favorable ruling occurs at any time.
The lesson learned, especially by Mullin, a newcomer to this process, is for coaches to make sure an incoming recruit does not have eligibility concerns long before the athlete completes his high school career. Most coaches are involved with recruits by their sophomore seasons in high school.
Self and Mullin can complain all they want about the length of the process, much like we do waiting at the DMV. But coaches like Self and Mullin willingly put themselves in a frustrating situation knowing the backgrounds of their recruits. In order to truly respect the process, you must abide by it and prepare for the consequences.
UPDATE: (11/12 @ 9:58 AM) Marcus LoVett has been ruled ineligible to play for the season.
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