KANSAS CITY, Mo. — 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 college basketball season will begin 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 when it comes to transferring players 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 appear to be similar to that of North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker, who 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.”
MID-SEASON MOVE
Baylor will be moving into new digs around the time conference play rolls around: Foster Pavilion, which is currently under construction near McClane Stadium, is expected to open the first week of January.
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.
HEY, I know you
Grant McCasland and Tylor Perry helped North Texas win the NIT championship last season. Now, McCasland will be tasked with finding a way to stop his former leading scorer when they meet in the Big 12.
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. After him, Perry, who averaged 17.3 points, 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 really well. It will be a very bittersweet moment. I’m excited about this match.”
RECHARGE ME
The NCAA rules committee has made it difficult for players to commit a charging foul this season, addressing what has long been one of the toughest and most controversial calls for officials to make.
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.”
