Wow this is BS...they took and passed the needed classes and the NCAA decides not to accept them? Then take away the school's accreditation.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/sports/ncaabasketball/3-st-johns-basketball-recruits-are-ruled-ineligible.html?_r=1
“Their parents contacted me yesterday, upset,” Goldberg said Friday in a telephone interview. “They said the N.C.A.A. is questioning why they received A’s. They’re making it seem like they’re not smart enough to do well.”
The N.C.A.A. did not respond to a request for comment.
The St. John’s coaching staff remains hopeful that the three players will be eligible for the spring semester, which would allow them to begin practicing Dec. 19 and to make their collegiate debuts against Texas-Pan American two days later. But the ruling leaves the Red Storm with just eight scholarship players before that, when it will face Arizona, Kentucky, and either Texas A&M or Mississippi State. The team’s 18-game Big East schedule, and games against Duke and U.C.L.A., are scheduled for after the end of the first semester.
“It’s based on a reason specific to each individual,” Mark Fratto, a spokesman for St. John’s, said about the rulings in a telephone interview. “We’re going to pursue every avenue and exhaust every option to get these student-athletes eligible.”
Yes, NCAA has approved classes from Rise for Kyle Lowry, Shane Clark, Gerald Henderson, Nasir Robinson, Chevon Troutman and a host of other players. SJU's 3 recruits were the only 3 to be denied. It's an absurd ruling. NCAA should have to declare schools eligible or ineligible. Why have they approved them in the past? SJU and the 3 kids did everything they needed to do. NCAA on a whim decided to make an example with SJU's recruits. As I said, if we were Ohio State or UNC, there's no chance our kids would have been declared ineligible.
I read that the NCAA believes that SJU and/or Lavin tried to manipulate the system. There's no such thing as "manipulating" a system. It's called loopholes. If the system worked properly, it wouldn't be an issue. Instead the system is haphazard and absurd. If these kids took classes that were approved prior and met NCAA requirements, they should be cleared, whether they got straight A's or not. Nobody is confusing these 3 kids with academic all-stars, but it was a haphazard ruling and kids are doing this all over the country at tons of schools.
NCAA needs to get their act together and get their approved schools lists in order and release them in early fall every year. If the kids attend an approved school, then there should be zero scrutiny of their grades at said school. If a school is not on the list, then it is subject to scrutiny. It's not fair to make a decision about a school based on a few kids getting good grades there. There should be separate evaluations of the schools and kids should know before the week that college starts that they're not going to be cleared. NCAA has loads of dough and needs to get their clearinghouse straightened out.