I fully expect the NCAA to rule him ineligible again while they try to attempt to figure out where he will get the $1600 they have ordered him to pay back. That is just the kind of thing the NCAA would do.
Link
UCLA's star freshman, Shabazz Muhammad, was declared ineligible before his first game last week. His crime? He took money from a family friend to fund unofficial recruiting visits to Duke and North Carolina. Both schools had told him he was free to take money for the trips—which took place a year ago—but somehow the NCAA found a way to decide to punish him on the first Friday of the season.
I fully expect the NCAA to rule him ineligible again while they try to attempt to figure out where he will get the $1600 they have ordered him to pay back. That is just the kind of thing the NCAA would do.
The NCAA loses even more credibility if they even had any. The whole story about the lawyer's boyfriend and then reinstating someone right after declaring him ineligible. How does the NCAA rule so many kids ineligible only to re-instate them later? I know Congress has another issue or two at hand but I can't imagine that Congress won't eventually step in on behalf of this institution which has become a complete farce.
UCLA actually just lost to ... Cal Poly; it is time to panic in Westwood
I was tempted to put this in a Tony Parker thread; Tony got 3 minutes and 0 points.
Here's a game story with boxscore: Cal Poly shocks No. 11 UCLA
Shabazz had 15 points and 10 rebounds, but was 4-13 from the field.
Also, Kyle Anderson didn't start. Played 22 min, scored 1 pt, 4 dimes. The triumvirate isn't off to a great start. Howland on the hot seat. We'll see if they can turn it around.
The interesting thing, at least to me, is that their leading scorer is freshman Jordan Adams, who I didn't even know was going to UCLA and/or hadn't considered him in their great recruiting class. I just saw that he was ranked #41 by ESPN heading into the year, well below Shabazz, Kyle Anderson and Parker.
Big upset there...
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/bas...html?eref=sihp
TP, again, does little to nothing. (3 min, 2 missed FTs)
Did not watch the game but found this in the LA Times
"Despite all the hurried attempts and defensive breakdowns, UCLA (4-2) had a chance to salvage the night when Jordan Adams snaked inside to tie the score, 68-68.
But with 11 seconds remaining, Bruins sophomore Norman Powell got confused about the score and, thinking his team was behind, committed an intentional foul."
http://www.latimes.com/sports/colleg...,3005284.story
SoCal
I was about to say that this wasn't a huge surprise, because UCLA barely got by UC Irvine, currently number 139 in the Sagarin rankings, in overtime. However, Cal Poly is number 218. That is the very model of a modern major crisis.
Couldn't help but notice Tony Parker kicking in with 3 minutes of PT. Zeros across the board with the exception of the "2" in the 0-2 FTA line.
It appears he may have made the correct decision. If he can hardly get on the floor for a team that lost to Cal Poly, I doubt very much he would be contributing to the #2 team in the nation and it would likely be awhile before he could contribute to a program like Duke's.
Perhaps you are right!
But I would venture to say that right about now he wishes he could be on the floor and set a few big man screens.
On the other hand we would have endless posts as to how a talent like TP could linger on the end of the bench and that Duke just does not know how to develop big men and or a talented bench.
Hard not to feel a little schadenfreude here--though I don't actually bear Shabazz Muhammad any ill will since he appeared to handle his college decision rather smoothly and to treat the coaches and programs he did not choose with great respect. Another good piece of evidence, though, that it takes more than a bunch of players to make a good team.