STORRS – Former Husky Roscoe Smith completed the transfer process last week, committing to UNLV. His new school is seeking a waiver that would allow Smith to play next year, according to ESPN’s Andy Katz, without the usual one-year sit-out period for transfer students.
How this plays out, of course, could affect UConn, which remains ineligible for the NCAA Tournament next season due to its APR scores. The NCAA has been a bit looser in granting waivers for transferring players – which now number in the hundreds each year. Usually, there must be a family hardship involved. For instance, Lamont “Mo Mo” Jones was able to transfer from Arizona to Iona and play right away due to a family health issue. Michael Bradley, who has transferred from UConn to Western Kentucky, figures to get one, too. His grandmother, in Tennessee, is fighting cancer and he wants to be closer to her.
Alex Oriakhi was able to transfer from UConn to Missouri and play right away because he has only one year of eligibility left.
Unless Smith has some similar hardship, the NCAA would be making an on-the-fly change in interpretation if it were to allow him to play at UNLV without sitting a year. You can’t fault UNLV for trying – what’s there to lose for them? The argument that Smith should get a waiver only because UConn is uneligible for the postseason doesn’t hold much water. The postseason is not guaranteed anywhere and Smith has two years of eligibility left.
Because they would have to sit out a year, it made little sense for UConn’s remaining players to transfer unless, like Smith, they just really wanted out. Shabazz Napier, Ryan Boatright, Tyler Olander, et al, all remain on board. If the NCAA were to grant UNLV and Smith this waiver, it could hurt UConn, prompting more transfers, but not necessarily. It’ is already getting late for that, now that June is upon us, and it usually takes a while for NCAA to rule. Smith, in mid-April, was the last player to ask for a release.
But the possibility is there that it could hurt UConn, and it would set a bad precedent to allow transfers to play immediately.
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14 Responses to NCAA’s Decision on Roscoe Smith Waiver Could Have Big Impact for UConn
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“it would set a bad precedent to allow transfers to play immediately.”
Why is that, exactly? I don’t understand why this is such a bad thing? what’s unfortunate is that players are treated like slave labor and lose an entire year of eligibility in the first place for the “crime” of transferring, one of the most glaring examples of how rigged the system is in favor of the coaches and administrators. He could go rob a liquor store and still not lose a year of eligibility, but for some reason transferring to a new school is so much worse? Just because you’re a college student doesn’t mean that you don’t have the same legal rights as a coach or any other adult. Players only get 4 years of eligibility as it is, they shouldn’t lose a year without extreme cause.
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@AnotherHuskiesVictor, you’re way off base. They dont lose eligibility when they transfer, they sit out a year and retain their eligibility.
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Don’t like the sit a year rule. Term student athlete has been more or less been exposed for the exploitation it really is at these high profile programs. Man should have a right to choose who he interns for without having to suffer through some senseless penalty.
it seems like your web page ate my first remark (it was very lengthy) so I guess I’ll just sum it up what I uploaded and say, I’m completely enjoying your blog site. I too am an aspiring blog blogger but I’m still completely new to every thing. Do you have any helpful hints for new blog writers? I’d definitely appreciate it.I heard somebody talking about this on the radio yesterday, but I can’t remember what station it was.
Hey, Husky Victory and Terry if you could transfer and not sit out a year you would have chaos. There would be thousands of transfers in all sports. So you sit one year, you don’t lose a year of eligibility. Get real guys wake up!
@Dave is correct. The rule needs to be there or kids would be moving all over the place. It would open up madness with coaches recruiting players on other rosters, kids would leave just to leave and find greener grass. This rule needs to be in place.
What seems to be forgotten in this is if the coaching staff had done their job and impressed upon the athletes that they are also students and needed to go to class and get passing grades this would not be happening. Everyone is concerned that these players were not the ones who caused the problems, but do not hold Calhoun responsible for these problems.
FREDDYKOOL: “WHO DA THUNK IT?”
If Smith is permitted to play without the wait it will just support the notion that this whole business of the sanctions against UConn (Boatright, APR, etc.) is more about the NCAA vendetta against Calhoun then anything else. The NCAA needs to come into the real world and stop neing able to penalize the kid (Boatright) and the school before any form of due process has occurred. This kid had to sit out games without knowing what he was being accused of doing. Go back to the penalty against Southern Cal for what Reggie Bush and one coach were hit for doing and compare to the light slap Ohio State got for something the head coach and at least 5 players did. NCAA plays way beyond fairness.
it seems like your web page ate my first comment (it was very lengthy) so I think I’ll just sum it up what I uploaded and say, I’m completely enjoying your web log. I too am an aspiring blog site blogger but I’m still brand-new to everything. Do you have any valuable hints for new blog authors? I’d absolutely appreciate it.I heard somebody talking about this on the radio yesterday, but I can’t remember what station it was.
I never did like the sit out rule. They allow coaches, school presidents and AD to leave and go to another school for more money with no penalty!
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