Cincinnati transfers Aziz Bandaogo and Jamille Reynolds had their waivers rejected by the NCAA last week, prompting the Bearcats to appeal in hopes of both being cleared to play when the basketball season begins. college ball will start in a few weeks.
Bandaogo played two seasons at Akron before spending last season at Utah Valley, where the 7-footer from Senegal averaged 11.5 points and 10.4 rebounds. Reynolds spent his first two seasons with UCF, which, like the Bearcats, joined the Big 12 this season, before averaging 10.1 points in his lone season at Temple.
The NCAA has strict guidelines regarding players transferring a second time, a topic that has angered some coaches.
“We are very disheartened by the news of the last week,” Miller said Wednesday. “I think the issue here is we have two players, and there are others, who received advice when they made transfer decisions last spring, and who received advice from the NCAA on the path forward. They felt like they were following those guidelines. We are confident that they meet the guidelines and standards set by the NCAA.
Miller declined to go into detail about player transfer decisions. But their cases seem similar to those of North Carolina receiver Devontez Walkerwho was denied a waiver to play this season before a high-profile dispute involving the university, the NCAA and even politicians ensued.
Two weeks ago, the NCAA reversed course citing new information provided by the school and granted Walker, who joined the Tar Heels after stints at North Carolina Central and Kent State, a waiver for immediate eligibility .
“I know their situation deeply,” Miller said of his own transfers. “I am hopeful that through the appeal process they will be vindicated. I expect them to be erased. But I’m worried. I worry about how this will affect them. Sure, it will affect our team, but how will it affect their mental health? This concerns me on a much deeper level.
BYU is also awaiting a decision from the NCAA on Marcus Adams Jr., who briefly committed to Gonzaga after leaving Kansas and ending up with the Cougars. In his case, the move from Gonzaga to BYU happened after the transfer portal deadline.
“We won’t know his eligibility this season for a while,” Cougars coach Mark Pope said. “But we’re certainly hopeful.”
The Bears have played at the Ferrell Center since 1988, but their new $185 million building will offer more amenities in a more intimate setting. The Ferrell Center can accommodate more than 10,000 basketball fans, and many seats are located away from the court; Foster Pavilion will have approximately 7,000 seats with fans closer to the action.
“Home field advantage is so important in the Big 12,” said Baylor coach Scott Drew, whose team plans to travel for its Jan. 2 game against Cornell. “One of the best things that the state of Texas in general has done is create newer, smaller arenas to make sure the fans are more on top of you, instead of being spread out like larger arenas. We should have the same thing.
After six years leading the Mean Green, McCasland was hired to replace Mark Adams at Texas Tech, where he got his start as director of basketball operations more than 20 years ago. Perry, who followed him out the gate, averaged 17.3 points and decided to transfer to Kansas State and test himself in the toughest conference in the country.
“It’ll be fun. He’s around here somewhere,” Perry said of McCasland, who brought assistants Matt Braeuer and Achoki Moikobu to Texas Tech. “We know each other very well. It will be a very bittersweet moment .I’m excited about this match.
Curtis Shaw, the Big 12’s coordinator of officials, said defenders must beat offensive players and be placed much earlier than in previous years. Once in position, they are asked to be physical, maintain their position, get upright and not fall to the ground.
“In my 35 years of existence, there has probably never been a period year as important as this one,” Shaw said. “The rules committee really took a big stand to change a rule and an interpretation of a rule that has been around forever.”
To put it simply, Shaw said, the “default” call going forward will be blocking. When officials looked at 100 plays from last season that were ruled fouls, all but four would be considered blocking fouls this season.
“It’s almost impossible to pursue legal action at this time,” Shaw said. “Not impossible. Almost impossible.”
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