Josh Smith eligible....um, what?

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Awful decision, it appears completely inconsistent with past precedent. Can't think of a worse transfer ruling than this one.
 

It's like spinning the wheel in wheel of fortune. Who knows what you'll get.
 




Incompetence or cronyism, take your pick.

One of these times, a guy who's denied will sue and maybe the waiver system will come down. I don't think that's a good result (everyone should have to sit a year, period, but they could never go back to that) but letting everyone play right away might be better than what they have now.
 

I'm sure somebody, somewhere, has a more comprehensive list of these decisions (which would be interesting), but by my count alone, you have waivers being granted this year in the following circumstances:

- player kicked out of school for alleged sexual assault (*a second time*) (Dixon) (And similar to waiver last year for Dez Wells, also kicked out of school for violating student code of conduct)
- player leaving school because he didn't get along with coach (Josh Smith)
- player leaving after one year (following prior transfer) because school on APR probation in last year of eligibility (M Smith and many others)
- many dozens of players leaving to be "closer to" ailing brothers, sisters, grandmothers, relatives who passed away and who knows what else

This is way out of hand, and makes the Buckles decision look more unfair with every passing week. As some other poster said not long ago, basically he drew the short straw.
 



Even when there appears to be no reason why a player would have the rules waived, sometimes the NCAA does the unexpected. This is exactly why you need to include a 2% clause when talking about NCAA waivers.

The fact that has to be understood is that the public is not privy to the conversation(s). They don't know what the school has said to the NCAA - it may be nonsense, lies, complete B.S., etc. We also usually do not know what the NCAA's reasoning is.

Therefore, attempting to rationalize it is difficult and generally not a beneficial exercise. Sometimes shrugging your shoulders and moving on is the best path.

Although I will say this... I think many times what you have are schools making outlandish excuses for players and the NCAA giving a great benefit of the doubt to the player / not challenging things as much as perhaps they should. But again.. the problem is "who knows?"
 

I could understand and accept him being eligible right away in and of itself. I can't find giving him an entire year of eligibility when he quit on his teammates mid-season acceptable - the NCAA has ruled in the past that participating in one exhibition game or scrimmage for a team before transferring costs you a year of eligibility. Playing in six actual games surely should.
 

The NCAA is so full of crap, it seemingly comes out of their mouths whenever one of their reps speaks.
 

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