Enes Kanter... Ruled Ineligible [Archive]

CameronBornAndBred

11-11-2010, 06:09 PM

Here's the full report linked in that article.

http://www.ncaa.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/111110aab.html

Kanter played three seasons with the Turkish sport club Fenerbahce from 2006-07 to 2008-09. Although he competed primarily for the club’s under-18 junior team, he did compete on the club’s senior team in 2008-09. According to facts agreed to by the university and the NCAA Eligibility Center, Kanter received $33,033 more than his expenses for the 2008-09 season.

“Enes took advantage of an opportunity to play at the highest level available to him, but the consequences of receiving payments above his actual expenses is not compatible with the collegiate model of sports that our members have developed,” said Kevin Lennon, NCAA vice president of academic and membership affairs

TigerDevil

11-11-2010, 06:12 PM

This pleases me. Interesting development as from what I've heard the NCAA was looking at this case to set a precedent for other international players looking to make the move to the NBA via the NCAA. Sorry Cal.

Greg_Newton

11-11-2010, 06:13 PM

Well, this is just lovely. Today is a just a good news day, isn't it! :D

I wonder how likely it is the appeal will be successful?

Jderf

11-11-2010, 06:15 PM

Well, this is just lovely. Today is a just a good news day, isn't it! :D

I wonder how likely it is the appeal will be successful?

I was wondering that as well. What exactly is there to appeal? He received $30,000 above and beyond his expenses. That's a pretty substantial sum. If that's an established fact, then isn't that the end of the story? Seems pretty clear-cut to me. Maybe someone with more understanding of the rules could chime in.

Kentucky fans will not be happy, "The conspiracy continues!"

Tim1515

11-11-2010, 06:16 PM

I wonder how likely it is the appeal will be successful?

I have no idea...but it just seems extremely unlikely to me. The NCAA spent so much time researching this case and it is so high profile. They didn't need to come forth today so they must feel pretty confident it is the right call.

dukelifer

11-11-2010, 06:20 PM

Per www.kentuckysportsradio.com the NCAA has rules Kanter permanently ineligible. Mods feel free to move.
Makes Kentucky less of a threat to win a national championship and then vacate it.

Bluedog

11-11-2010, 06:35 PM

I have no idea...but it just seems extremely unlikely to me. The NCAA spent so much time researching this case and it is so high profile. They didn't need to come forth today so they must feel pretty confident it is the right call.

Not disagreeing with you, but apparently the appeals committee is completely independent and different from the NCAA committee. So, it seems that it is another perspective that takes a look at the evidence.

The reinstatement committee is the final appeal opportunity in the initial-eligibility process. It is independent and comprised of representatives from NCAA member colleges, universities and athletic conferences and can reduce or remove the conditions, but it cannot increase the conditions imposed by the staff.

SCMatt33

11-11-2010, 06:39 PM

I have no idea...but it just seems extremely unlikely to me. The NCAA spent so much time researching this case and it is so high profile. They didn't need to come forth today so they must feel pretty confident it is the right call.

I actually think they have a chance. This seems to be the way that the NCAA has gone in the last 6 months with allowing people back in, both in academics and amateurism. Barton at Memphis was let in academically, and Dee Bost was given his amateur status back after the draft fiasco, but this does seem like a steeper hill to climb. Gut feeling, but I'd guess that he has a 10% chance of success, not too bad all things considered.

DevilHorns

11-11-2010, 06:41 PM

BD80

11-11-2010, 06:43 PM

What's really funny is that he has already been paid far more than $30,000 for his short time at UK!

Do those boosters get their money back?

SCMatt33

11-11-2010, 06:43 PM

DevilHorns

11-11-2010, 06:48 PM

I didn't think that he was eligible for the draft. I thought he came here and then competed as a high school senior last year. He couldn't go to the NBA until 2011 no matter what. Did I miss something?

You could be right. I interpreted Jay Bilas' answer to this question regarding "turning down a big pay day" as meaning a pay day from the NBA, he could've easily meant just playing overseas.

Bill (Louisville KY)

Have you heard anything in regards to Enes Kanter's eligibility?
Jay Bilas
(1:22 PM)

Nothing new. Reasonable minds can differ, but I think he should be cleared, and right now. The NCAA will say it has 70,000 jocks in 88 sports to clear. Well, I say that college basketball pays for 95% of the bills for the entire athletics landscape for the NCAA, so they should prioritize things correctly. And, Kanter grew up in a foreign country with a different system. He wants to turn down a big payday to play in and attend college. Why would we keep him out?

Anyone know for certain?

CameronBlue

11-11-2010, 06:53 PM

What's really funny is that he has already been paid far more than $30,000 for his short time at UK!

Do those boosters get their money back?

Not boosters, they're called tutors.

Bluedog

11-11-2010, 07:03 PM

You could be right. I interpreted Jay Bilas' answer to this question regarding "turning down a big pay day" as meaning a pay day from the NBA, he could've easily meant just playing overseas.

Anyone know for certain?

He wasn't eligible for the NBA draft. Foreign players must be at least 19 years old as of the new collective bargaining agreement. Enes is only 18. Bilas was talking about big money he turned down overseas.

SCMatt33

11-11-2010, 07:06 PM

Anyone else think that it is somewhat backwards that he was not allowed to practice while his status was pending, but now that he is officially ineligible, he can resume practice during the appeal? That doesn't make much sense to me.

DevilHorns

11-11-2010, 07:08 PM

He wasn't eligible for the NBA draft. Foreign players must be at least 19 years old as of the new collective bargaining agreement. Enes is only 18. Bilas was talking about big money he turned down overseas.

Thanks for the info. So he would be eligible for the next NBA draft then. It is what it is.

JohnGalt

11-11-2010, 07:09 PM

In a weird way I kind of feel bad for Enes. He did decide to go the college route for a year when he could easily have just decided to go to the NBA, and likely be picked in the 1st round.

Maybe Cal convinced him that he'd be cleared. Now what does the young man do? Practice with a trainer for a year, and then declare? Hopefully he can play in the NBADL or find a quick spot overseas.

I don't think that's weird. In fact, I agree. Just because Enes decided to play for a coach that most of us feel is somewhat on the shady side doesn't necessarily mean he's of ill character. I'd be willing to bet he wasn't intending to game the system (NCAA) so much as he was attempting to use it to his greatest benefit. He's NBA material and he knows it so why not take the quickest way to the NBA? With Calipari and Kentucky he'd be the featured frontcourt player on a team loaded in the backcourt and highly publicized in the media. I'm not sure he could gain as much exposure anywhere else.

That being said, he's destined to make millions...which may have been put off for only a year...so it's hard to feel TOO badly for him...

Dukeface88

11-11-2010, 07:10 PM

He wants to turn down a big payday to play in and attend college.

Poor form to leak Kanter's decomittment. If he doesn't want to go to Kentucky, let him announce it his own way.

PSurprise

11-11-2010, 07:22 PM

He can still attend college...just have to pay the bills, that's all

MartyClark

11-11-2010, 08:46 PM

I would have liked to see him play, although not for Kentucky. I wonder what his options are now for playing in a league in Europe. I would guess that he has to consider going back to a professional league in Europe, rather than attending classes at Kentucky. How much money can a guy like this make in Turkey, Italy or Spain?

dukeimac

11-11-2010, 09:06 PM

If it is only $30,000, I would think an appeal is possible.

Not hard to come up with $30,000 of additional needed costs over 3 years. Just about any accountant worth their salt should be able to come up with some additional costs he needed. The big plasma TV was needed to review game films. Special liquids are needed because of a health condition. Blah blah blah. Reminds me of all those tax write-offs...

loran16

11-11-2010, 09:12 PM

For the record, I don't hate Kentucky. I dislike Calipari, but I don't hate Kentucky.

So, my feelings on this are simply this: Good for the NCAA for saving UK ahead of time the embarrassment of a potential season being erased from the books. This is what they should have done from the start in the Rose and Camby situations for UK (and maybe the Bledsoe situation).

The NCAA should find out these cases ahead of time, and MAKE THEIR DECISIONS BEFORE THE SEASON BEGINS.

--------------------------
By the way, for the record, as much as i dislike Calipari, you can't accuse him of wrongdoing here. It was clearly a longshot that Kanter would be eligible, but it didn't cost UK anything other than a 1 year scholarship, which UK can afford.

Deslok

11-11-2010, 09:19 PM

loran16

11-11-2010, 09:55 PM

ncexnyc

11-11-2010, 10:01 PM

It's odd that the intial money which was claimed to have been given to Kanter was $100K.

dchen09

11-11-2010, 10:06 PM

It's odd that the intial money which was claimed to have been given to Kanter was $100K.

$33K is money paid beyond living expenses and what not. $100K might be the total amount paid.

roywhite

11-11-2010, 10:14 PM

Enes Kanter, Cam Newton.....just another day in the SEC.

Duvall

11-11-2010, 10:17 PM

Enes Kanter, Cam Newton.....just another day in the SEC.

It's starting to look like the old Southwest Conference, but without the integrity and spirit of amateurism.

DallasDevil

11-11-2010, 10:38 PM

Errr, I realize you're being facetious, but I'm pretty sure that no one will ever say Cal. made Kanter into a first rounder.
Not quite true; Cal will say that.

Kedsy

11-11-2010, 11:05 PM

This is what they should have done from the start in the Rose and Camby situations for UK (and maybe the Bledsoe situation).

I assume this is just awkward sentence structure, because I'm sure you realize the Rose and Camby situations had nothing to do with UK. Right?

UrinalCake

11-12-2010, 12:39 AM

He can still attend college...just have to pay the bills, that's all

This is incorrect. He is ineligible to play. His scholarship status is irrelevant. Unless what you're saying is that he can attend college but not play basketball; that would be true.

Oriole Way

11-12-2010, 03:03 AM

I'm happy the NCAA finally exhibited some kind of justice in this situation, and that one of Calipari's shady recruits is ruled ineligible before he plays, rather than afterwards. I firmly believe Derrick Rose and Eric Bledsoe should never have played for Calipari.

Lord Ash

11-12-2010, 06:38 AM

Could not have happened to a more deserving fanbase.

The kid was paid money to play. Therefore, he is not eligible to play college ball, because he is no longer an amateur. Not sure why Decourcy doesn't get it.

Saratoga2

11-12-2010, 06:51 AM

The NCAA has rules and is enforcing them. Calipari knew the rules yet pushed the envelope. I cant see him gaining eligibility unless the NCAA is willing to delete the rule from their books. If they were to do that, what rule would be the next to be challenged?

4decadedukie

11-12-2010, 06:53 AM

On 10 November, I posted the following to our latest Jay Bilas thread:

"Jay’s article is excellent; however, I respectfully take serious exception to his contention that “Nothing is gained by forcing kids to sit out that (A) want to play in college and (B) are full-time students and academically qualified,” referring to Kentucky’s Enes Kanter. Potentially, something absolutely critical is reinforced by Kanter’s possible disqualification by the NCAA, due to his Turkish professional basketball credentials. Specifically, the integrity of amateurism in intercollegiate athletics might be strengthened (presuming Kanter is documented as a professional), which I believe is quite important, especially during an era when the ethics of college athletics is constantly criticized as a result of the conduct of players, coaches, boosters, agents, administrators and so forth."

IMHO, this is an EXCELLENT -- and a just -- NCAA decision!

flyingdutchdevil

11-12-2010, 07:03 AM

Pretty good article by Jeff Goodman about Cal, Kanter, and UK: http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/story/Courting-Enes-Kanter-worth-the-risk-for-Kentucky-basketball-head-coach-John-Calipari-111110

Tells a lot about Cal and his position within coaching circles.

UK is going to be like Duke in 2007-2008 - they'll have to play a SF/PF at C. Good luck with that Cal. However, despite not liking Cal's off-the-court antics, he is a really good coach and I'm sure he'll make UK competitive once again.

geraldsneighbor

11-12-2010, 09:08 AM

I love when he says that money was for living expenses. Reggie Bush needed money for living expenses too...

BD80

11-12-2010, 09:15 AM

And think of this as adding to Cal's resume... I mean, last year, he had those kids for one year and turned them all into NBA 1st round picks. Kanter won't even have to be with Cal for a year to be a 1st round pick, he didn't even practice, just basking in the aura of Cal made him a 1st rounder. How great a coach does that make Calipari?

Cal made the guy into a pro before he ever got to the campus!

I think there is actually an element of truth to this; the Ky faithful are wondering if Kanter would have been ruled ineligible if he had not reneged on his original commitment to Washington. But for Cal's poaching, would the Kanter issue have demanded inquiry? Would the Euro GM have come out so publicly - forcing the NCAA to investigate to save face?

Frankly, I have no problem with a double standard with respect to Cal. Although never found culpable, serious eligibility issues have hovered around his programs. Once the NCAA makes it understood that they will investigate questionable conduct around Cal, those of questionable conduct will stay away from Cal. Kind of like I reduce my speed when driving through Ohio, because I know I am more likely to get a ticket in Ohio.

wilko

11-12-2010, 09:22 AM

Enes Kan't er play' er...

On one hand I feel sorry for the dude that he cant taste the college experience..

But mostly I'm glad that Cal failed in this push, however. Maybe some of the "It" luster of late will wear off of UK... He seems to lure class after class of loaded Frosh talent, but has precious few tangible results to put in the trophy case.

With this new focus of "heat" from the NCAA that says "We are watching you" perhaps it'll be more difficult to lure recruits? If so, UK's welcome mat will start to wear thin for Cal... especially if Duke, UNC, Kansas, UCLA generates more comparative success while Cal is coach..

To be clear, I don't hate UK.
They may hate us for "The Shot" and that's OK, I guess... But if they think I have forgiven them for '78 - then they have been hitting the bluegrass too hard. It kind of levels things a bit.. they have the hardware, we get under their skin mightily... I can live with that. It the best we'll ever get on that score.

UK has almost the right shade of Blue and half the letters to spell DukE. How can I hate them for being Fans that way?

BD80

11-12-2010, 10:16 AM

Interesting comment in response to Parrish's column:

... $33,033 was accepted by family as educational expenses for him (as it was explained to them by the team that they could). $20,000 was actually used for eligible expenses and the rest is sitting in an account still unused. The problem from the NCAA's viewpoint is that the ball club had to pay those educational expenses DIRECTLY TO THE SCHOOL/TUTORS rather than give them to the family to use as needed as long as it was properly documented. The family is willing to return the unused money and repay the $20,000 since they misunderstood HOW they could accept the educational money, but the NCAA said NO THANKS and declared him a professional (by the "letter" of the law it seems). Whether the Turkish team PURPOSELY mislead the family or they and the family just misunderstood the METHOD of providing the educational benefits allowed, it seems clear that there was NO INTENT for Enes Kanter to become a pro and skip college. ...

While I love the comment from a college coach quoted by Parrish: "If Kanter is eligible, I'm going to recruit Ricky Rubio!" I wonder if Kanter actually may be a sympathetic figure in this case. Of course, he lost any chance of sympathy from me when he rescinded his verbal to UW and went with Cal "the snake."

You lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.

COYS

11-12-2010, 10:28 AM

Interesting comment in response to Parrish's column:

While I love the comment from a college coach quoted by Parrish: "If Kanter is eligible, I'm going to recruit Ricky Rubio!" I wonder if Kanter actually may be a sympathetic figure in this case. Of course, he lost any chance of sympathy from me when he rescinded his verbal to UW and went with Cal "the snake."

You lie down with dogs, you wake up with fleas.

I would imagine that Kanter's primary motivation behind playing in the United States lies in increasing his marketability, as it appears that he would have been an NBA pick regardless of whether he came to the States or stayed in Europe. In that sense, I can't really blame him for going with Calipari and Kentucky over Washington, my personal opinion of Cal notwithstanding (Kanter probably does not have the same high regard for amateur athletics that most of the US college basketball fans have). It does seem harsh for the NCAA to punish Kanter given that his family appears to have been acting in good faith and would be able to return the vast majority of the $33,000 immediately . . . provided this report is accurate. I like watching Calipari squirm as much as the next guy, but i must say that even though I think the NCAA's decision is probably right, I don't take much joy in it . . . especially if Kanter is not much more than a victim of the NCAA complex rules and whatever lies/assurances he received from Cal that he would be eligible.

timmy c

11-12-2010, 10:35 AM

Nice to get some closer on this so that we can enjoy the b-ball season sans the Free Kanter talk.

COYS

11-12-2010, 10:51 AM

Nice to get some closer on this so that we can enjoy the b-ball season sans the Free Kanter talk.

I wouldn't bet on that until after the appeal process is over.

Then, come March if/when Duke trounces UK 96-68 on the way to the Final Four you'll hear Calipari complain that "We would have beaten Duke if we Kanter had been able to play" which will be interpreted by Wildcat Nation as more evidence that the NCAA ruled Kanter ineligible just to make sure K had an easy path to his 5th title, passing Rupp in the process.

El_Diablo

11-12-2010, 10:57 AM

Interesting comment in response to Parrish's column:

This "version" of the story is being perpetuated by KY fans...but has it even been substantiated? Were any funds contractually earmarked for educational expenses? And if so, why is a substantial portion of it still sitting in the family bank account instead of being spent on his education? It stands to reason that if a player really spent X dollars on education expenses, yet received X+Y dollars, the Y dollars (sitting in the bank account) are, by definition, above what was needed for those educational expenses. Or is that logic too complicated for KY fans to follow?

More to the point, contrary to what that comment states, $20k of that $33k was clearly NOT spent on "eligible expenses"...since the $33k figure was above and beyond what qualified as eligible expenses, as KY and the NCAA jointly stipulated.

That whole version of events is poorly reasoned given what facts have already been released, and thus I suspect it is just a product of the message board rumor mills rather than what actually happened.

CharlestonDevil

11-12-2010, 11:01 AM

COYS

11-12-2010, 11:08 AM

This "version" of the story is being perpetuated by KY fans...but has it even been substantiated? Were any funds contractually earmarked for educational expenses? And if so, why is a substantial portion of it still sitting in the family bank account instead of being spent on his education? It stands to reason that if a player really spent X dollars on education expenses, yet received X+Y dollars, the Y dollars (sitting in the bank account) are, by definition, above what was needed for those educational expenses. Or is that logic too complicated for KY fans to follow?

More to the point, contrary to what that comment states, $20k of that $33k was clearly NOT spent on "eligible expenses"...since the $33k figure was above and beyond what qualified as eligible expenses, as KY and the NCAA jointly stipulated.

That whole version of events is poorly reasoned given what facts have already been released, and thus I suspect it is just a product of the message board rumor mills rather than what actually happened.

You make a good point that underscores the difficulty I have in forming an opinion on the situation. I can honestly say that I'm not sure what actually happened with Kanter. The reason why I find it plausible that the Kanter family may have actually made an honest mistake is because they have no incentive to do anything that would make Enes ineligible for this season. If they were in need of money, Enes would have simply continued to play in Europe and make way, way more than $33,000 above expenses. Clearly, the family thought that by playing in the United States at the college level (and, perhaps, specifically at Kentucky) Enes would benefit either by expanding his media profile prior to his jump to the NBA or by receiving better basketball training or some combination of the two (although I find the latter reason hard to believe given how strong the Euroleagues are, now). It seems they have nothing to gain at all by taking $33,000 extra and ruining Enes' chances at playing at the collegiate level.

Personally, I wonder if the Kanters are at least partially a victim of Calipari's false assurances that he would make sure Enes would be able to play.

Jderf

11-12-2010, 11:25 AM

You make a good point that underscores the difficulty I have in forming an opinion on the situation. I can honestly say that I'm not sure what actually happened with Kanter. The reason why I find it plausible that the Kanter family may have actually made an honest mistake is because they have no incentive to do anything that would make Enes ineligible for this season. If they were in need of money, Enes would have simply continued to play in Europe and make way, way more than $33,000 above expenses. Clearly, the family thought that by playing in the United States at the college level (and, perhaps, specifically at Kentucky) Enes would benefit either by expanding his media profile prior to his jump to the NBA or by receiving better basketball training or some combination of the two (although I find the latter reason hard to believe given how strong the Euroleagues are, now). It seems they have nothing to gain at all by taking $33,000 extra and ruining Enes' chances at playing at the collegiate level.

Personally, I wonder if the Kanters are at least partially a victim of Calipari's false assurances that he would make sure Enes would be able to play.

I'll agree with you that the situation is by no means clear-cut. And those of you who know my posting habits know I'm quick to jump to the defense of... well, anyone. But what strikes me about the situation is that the Kanter family did not go straight to the NCAA. If the situation was so clearly in a "grey area," then why didn't the Kanter family submit all their records directly to the NCAA beforehand? If it had been me, instead of dealing with Calipari and a family "advisor," I would have explicitly asked the organization responsible; I would have tried to clear the situation with the NCAA long before showing up on campus. Or before I committed to a school, for that matter.

But Kanter didn't do that, which makes the situation look bad: To an outsider, it appears as though the Kanter family was trying to slide him under the radar, hoping that the international divide would be enough to keep the NCAA from accessing his records. This could be far from the truth, but that's how it looks. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens next.

COYS

11-12-2010, 11:32 AM

I'll agree with you that the situation is by no means clear-cut. And those of you who know my posting habits know I'm quick to jump to the defense of... well, anyone. But what strikes me about the situation is that the Kanter family did not go straight to the NCAA. If the situation was so clearly in a "grey area," then why didn't the Kanter family submit all their records directly to the NCAA beforehand? If it had been me, instead of dealing with Calipari and a family "advisor," I would have explicitly asked the organization responsible; I would have tried to clear the situation with the NCAA long before showing up on campus. Or before I committed to a school, for that matter.

But Kanter didn't do that, which makes the situation look bad: To an outsider, it appears as though the Kanter family was trying to slide him under the radar, hoping that the international divide would be enough to keep the NCAA from accessing his records. This could be far from the truth, but that's how it looks. I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens next.

Of course, the Kanter's probably knew very little with how the NCAA works so taking advice from "advisers" who supposedly know better would appear to be a logical explanation. However, you are definitely right. It looks really bad to have withheld such critical information from the NCAA. At best it's merely a comedy of errors caused by the unfamiliarity of the Kanters with the NCAA and the incompetence of whomever was advising them. At worst, it was a deliberate attempt to beat the system. Either way, the consequence appears to be just and fair.

NSDukeFan

11-12-2010, 11:35 AM

What this all boils down to is that Kanter would have given them a shot at a championship (even though it would've been a young team), a shot they probably don't have now.

While Cal will continue to bring in the one-and-done players, the UK faithful expect there to be results, as in Championships being the only thing they will settle for.

Depending on who bolts early from the UK team after this season it could be another solid 2 years before another legit shot at a championship. That is not going to sit well in Lexington regardless of draft day results.

It's interesting that if Cal ever has some of his players stick around for a year or two to get some experience, UK would certainly have a much better chance to get to a final four.
Assuming Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight both leave for the NBA, UK's roster next year looks like:

Darius Miller 6-7 Senior
Stacey Poole 6-5 Soph
Jon Hood 6-6 Junior
Jarrod Polson 6-2 Soph
Doron Lamb 6-4 Soph
Eloy Vargas 6-10 Senior
DeAndre Liggins 6-6 Senior
Michael Gilchrist 6-6 Frosh
Anthony Davis 6-10 Frosh
Kyle Wiltjer 6-8 Frosh
Marquis Teague 6-2 Frosh

I would argue that next year might be a good chance for UK to compete for a championship because this year's recruiting class (without Kanter) isn't as strong, because Lamb and Poole are less likely to be one-and-done. With a great recruiting class next year (different kind of three-peat, though they may have to return this year's recruiting championship; nothing new to Cal) and some experienced players remaining, UK could be very strong next year. They could be even stronger if Knight and/or Jones stayed.

COYS

11-12-2010, 11:56 AM

(different kind of three-peat, though they may have to return this year's recruiting championship; nothing new to Cal)

Haha, i thought this was pretty hilarious. I wonder if any of the recruiting services will do a re-ranking.

A tough year for a young UK team combined with some less than stellar late-season play from Knight could easily lead some of these guys to staying another year. With the 2011 class for UK seriously stacked, a disappointing 2010 could be the best recipe for success Cal has cooked up.

(Ok, ridiculous conspiracy theory here . . . is it even possible that Cal always knew that Kanter would be ineligible but recruited him anyway so that when Kanter couldn't play and the season went south, some of his players' stock would drop, forcing them to come back another season and make a legit run at a national title. All the while UK fans would believe the Kanter situation to be the fault of the NCAA (and Duke, of course!), never suspecting the nefarious Cal for a second. Totally not true, but man would that have been a story if it were.)

BD80

11-12-2010, 12:13 PM

It's interesting that if Cal ever has some of his players stick around for a year or two to get some experience, UK would certainly have a much better chance to get to a final four.
Assuming Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight both leave for the NBA, UK's roster next year looks like:

Darius Miller 6-7 Senior
Stacey Poole 6-5 Soph
Jon Hood 6-6 Junior
Jarrod Polson 6-2 Soph
Doron Lamb 6-4 Soph
Eloy Vargas 6-10 Senior
DeAndre Liggins 6-6 Senior
Michael Gilchrist 6-6 Frosh
Anthony Davis 6-10 Frosh
Kyle Wiltjer 6-8 Frosh
Marquis Teague 6-2 Frosh ...

MIGHT look like. There is the concern that players must do some pesky scholastic stuff to stay eligible. Given the laissez fair attitude toward academics displayed with respect to at least some of last year's one-and-dones, it is fair to wonder what priority the program places on academics. At some point, pressuring a player to go to class contradicts what he was told during recruitment: "You won't need to worry much about class, just go a few times in the first semester and you can blow off the whole second semester. After all, you belong in the NBA." That attitude will surely seep into some, if not all, other players on the roster.

CEF1959

11-12-2010, 12:21 PM

Mitch Barnhart, UK AD: "It is our hope that he will be allowed to continue his academic and athletic career at Kentucky," Barnhart said.

Bilas's comments were also along those lines. Paraphrasing: "It was the right decision, but it's a shame, because it will deny him his college education."

Academic career? College education? I call BS. If UK wants to give Enes Kanter a scholarship to attend UK and get a college education there, it may do so. It just can't let him play NCAA basketball.

So I hope we don't hear more of this whining about denying poor poor Enes Kanter the immigrant's dream of being educated in America and graduating from UK. Like he was going to go to class at all or attend UK next year anyway. Right. And Cousins is coming back to finish up his Ph.D.

timmy c

11-12-2010, 12:24 PM

(Ok, ridiculous conspiracy theory here . . . is it even possible that Cal always knew that Kanter would be ineligible but recruited him anyway so that when Kanter couldn't play and the season went south, some of his players' stock would drop, forcing them to come back another season and make a legit run at a national title. All the while UK fans would believe the Kanter situation to be the fault of the NCAA (and Duke, of course!), never suspecting the nefarious Cal for a second. Totally not true, but man would that have been a story if it were.)

It is not a conspiracy theory to suggest that Cal will play the “everyone is against us" card. This is one of his favorite cards - It also plays well to the loyal Kentucky fans. I see several other benefits for Cal even though he didn’t get Kanter on the court.

1) Increased exposure for UK. The UK coverage had a 12 month news cycle this year.
2) The best practice player in college. Kanter can practice with the team while his case is appealed. The current crop of UK bigs will need all the help they can get to prepare for a competitive SEC schedule.
3) Kentucky fans will credit Cal with Kanter’s NBA success. This will give Calapari more cache, especially if a National Championship isn’t right around the corner.

JasonEvans

11-12-2010, 02:11 PM

The current crop of UK bigs will need all the help they can get to prepare for a competitive SEC schedule.

(bolding added by me)

Bwahahahaha! Funniest line in the entire thread. The SEC is not even close to the top 4 conferences this year (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East).

The SEC is the 5th rated conference by KenPom. They are closer to the BCS-little sister Pac 10 than they are to the #4 Big East.

There is no SEC team ranked in KenPom's top 10. In fact, there are only 4 SEC teams in KenPom's top 40 -- Florida #15, Kentucky #16, Tenn #25 (and just lost to a Division IIXVICML school), and Vandy #38.

Sagarin is even harsher. He has the SEC as the #6 conference. Kentucky, at #7, is the only team in Sagarin's top 20. Tennessee is #21 and Florida is #33.

The SEC is just not that good this year. Kentucky still has an excellent chance of being the dominant team in the league.

--Jason "note- I am not sure if the above rankings will be adjusted to factor in Kanter's absence or if Pom and Sag already figured he would not play" Evans

Kdogg

11-12-2010, 05:27 PM

This is what they should have done from the start in the Rose and Camby situations for UK (and maybe the Bledsoe situation).

The NCAA should find out these cases ahead of time, and MAKE THEIR DECISIONS BEFORE THE SEASON BEGINS.

--------------------------

Camby played at UMASS and got benefits AFTER he enrolled. It's not the same and a major violation.

timmy c

11-12-2010, 07:03 PM

(bolding added by me)

Bwahahahaha! Funniest line in the entire thread. The SEC is not even close to the top 4 conferences this year (ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, Big East).

The SEC is the 5th rated conference by KenPom. They are closer to the BCS-little sister Pac 10 than they are to the #4 Big East.

There is no SEC team ranked in KenPom's top 10. In fact, there are only 4 SEC teams in KenPom's top 40 -- Florida #15, Kentucky #16, Tenn #25 (and just lost to a Division IIXVICML school), and Vandy #38.

Sagarin is even harsher. He has the SEC as the #6 conference. Kentucky, at #7, is the only team in Sagarin's top 20. Tennessee is #21 and Florida is #33.

The SEC is just not that good this year. Kentucky still has an excellent chance of being the dominant team in the league.

--Jason "note- I am not sure if the above rankings will be adjusted to factor in Kanter's absence or if Pom and Sag already figured he would not play" Evans

Are you seriously arguing that Kentucky’s games won’t be competitive because the SEC is not the most dominant conference? I enjoy some very competitive Ivy league games, but I would never suggest that the Ivy League (or the SEC) is the best conference in the country. Your argument is a red herring.

NSDukeFan

11-12-2010, 08:54 PM

MIGHT look like. There is the concern that players must do some pesky scholastic stuff to stay eligible. Given the laissez fair attitude toward academics displayed with respect to at least some of last year's one-and-dones, it is fair to wonder what priority the program places on academics. At some point, pressuring a player to go to class contradicts what he was told during recruitment: "You won't need to worry much about class, just go a few times in the first semester and you can blow off the whole second semester. After all, you belong in the NBA." That attitude will surely seep into some, if not all, other players on the roster.

You're right and if players are not going immediately to the NBA, though making the team better, it may contradict the message he is sending out when he is recruiting at how he is "so great at getting guys to the NBA."