Im wondering, why does every article I read seemingly breeze over the fact that Skal hasnt been cleared yet either but make it a point to say Diallo has not been cleared?
Has Skal been cleared discreetly?
Why hasnt Diallo been cleared yet?
I still think he will be but I am becoming impatient and irritated to see that every sports writer is already acting like Skal is a forgone conclusion and Cheick is on a ledge somewhere.
Skal Labissiere is technically eligible to play based on my understanding of the situation. Skal's situation is more on the Cliff end of the spectrum than the Diallo end of the spectrum as far as eligibility is concerned.
Skal has already met the prerequisites to play NCAA basketball and it's currently an issue of whether or not his handler violated a rule that would cost Skal his eligibility.
Cheick Diallo has not yet met the prerequisites to play NCAA basketball and so everyone is waiting to see if those prerequisites have been met. The good news is that 2 of Diallo's Our Savior teammates from this year have been cleared to play D1 ball.
Basically, Skal is currently officially eligible to play in the eyes of the NCAA until the NCAA says otherwise.
Unless you have some very recent information that I am not aware, I am not sure that is correct. Labissiere has not been cleared by the NCAA and the general speculation is that it is related to his guardian's dealings, but we do not know this for a fact since the NCAA does not provide any information while the student-athletes is being evaluated for clearance.
Don't forget that his senior year he played for a home-school/hybrid school created just for him, while also attending another school; I imagine this sports-academic arrangement raised all kinds of red flags with the NCAA in addition to the alleged financial dealings of his guardian and they are looking closely to his information.
TTBOMK, Labissiere has not been cleared by the NCAA to play; he can attend school as admission is up to UK (just like Diallo), but he cannot play until he is cleared by the NCAA...for whatever reason, be that grades or financial shenanigans.
@JayHawkFanToo Being cleared and being eligible to play are two different things in this situation. Like I said, from what I've read, Skal's situation is a lot more in line with Cliff's than Cheick's. Once the investigation of Cliff started, he was never ruled ineligible and Bill Self could've played Cliff if he wanted to even though Cliff was never "cleared" by the NCAA.
This is the case with Skal as well. He hasn't yet been cleared of wrong doing by the NCAA because of his handler, but like Cliff, the NCAA also hasn't ruled Skal ineligible and Kentucky is free to play Skal at their own risk just like KU was free to do with Cliff.
This does not mean that Skal will suit up for Kentucky if the investigation is still pending when the season starts just like KU didn't play Cliff while the investigation was pending.
I could be wrong, but a player is not deemed to be eligible or cleared to play by default, the NCAA officially has to clear him..
Cliff was cleared by the NCAA to play before playing a single game for KU and thus was eligible to play in NCAA sanctioned competition. When mom's dealings came out then the NCAA notified KU that it was investigating Cliff (after he was originally cleared). KU could have played him at its own risk. Labissiere has yet to be cleared by the NCAA and thus he is not eligible to play in any NCAA sanctioned competition and we don't know if it is related to academics or other improprieties, the end result is the same, he cannot play until the NCAA official clears him. Quite different situation than Cliff. Diallo has not been cleared either and the general assumption is that it is because of his transcript...but we really don't know this for sure either.
In the end it is all semantics, neither can play until the NCAA says the can. They can and have been admitted to school and are taking classes, because the NCAA has no say in that part.
@JayHawkFanToo said:
I could be wrong, but a player is not deemed to be eligible or cleared to play by default, the NCAA officially has to clear him..
This is where you're wrong because your thinking is backwards on the matter. Once a player is cleared through the clearinghouse or whatever it's called now, which Skal has been, they are eligible until the NCAA says otherwise. Skal Labissiere graduated, made it through the clearinghouse and is currently eligible to play as of today.
Think of it this way, unless the NCAA specifically says so, a player is assumed to eligible and can play at the team's discretion. The NCAA has never officially commented about Skal Labissiere other than they are investigating his situation, therefore it can be assumed that Skal is currently eligible to play at Kentucky's discretion.
In Cheick Diallo's case, the NCAA has specifically said that Diallo is not currently eligible because he has yet to make it through the clearinghouse.
OK, I see where the problem is. TTBOMK, Labissiere has yet to be cleared by the NCAA clearinghouse. Maybe you can post link where it says he has been cleared?
@JayHawkFanToo Find an article that says he is ineligible and not just being investigated. As for your question, there's not an article out there that says he is eligible because the NCAA doesn't make those announcements when there's not an issue. Skal Labissiere's eligibility issues have never been academic, they've always been about impermissible benefits which doesn't stop someone from going through the clearinghouse. So again, until NCAA says otherwise, Skal Labissiere is assumed to be eligible at the moment and that is the mindset you have to take with a player regarding their eligibility.
So again, until there is an official statement by the NCAA to the contrary like there is with Diallo, Skal Labissiere is assumed to be eligible.
Here Skal talks about waiting to be cleared ↗...
“I’ll be able to play right away,” Labissiere said to Tucker. “The NCAA is going to clear me and I’ll be able to play right away.”
"In December, Hamilton told Steve Jones of the Courier-Journal that the NCAA was indeed looking into matters with Labissiere."
“Oh, yeah, they have investigated,” Hamilton said of the NCAA. “Of course, they hear all the rumors – and that’s what they are, rumors – going out about me, and they have a right to do their job. Unfortunately, a lot of the stuff that went out about me, a lot of people don’t even know me. I don’t know how they got the information. But they’re doing their job, and we’re doing our job. We don’t have anything to hide.”
"While the NCAA has yet to officially say anything on Labissiere — or clear him at Kentucky— the Haitian big man saying that he’s going to get cleared is an interesting development. Sometimes, it’s difficult to take a kid’s word in this situation, but at this point, it’s really all we have to go by."
Here is a more recent story ↗(August)
"When and where we'll next get a glimpse of those strengths and weaknesses is another matter entirely. With roughly two months until Kentucky's season-opening game against Albany, the NCAA has still yet to rule on Labissiere's eligibility for the 2015-16 campaign."
Unless something happened in the last month, the NCAA has not cleared Labissiere to play.
Why are we even talking about Kentucky players anyway?
@JayHawkFanToo The NBC article from April is out of date at this point and no longer relevant.
Ask yourself this question, why would the NCAA still be investigating Skal for impermissible benefits if he was not already academically eligible? Why waste resources on a player who isn't eligible to play?
The wording of the August article is the key here. It specifically says they have not ruled on his ELIGIBILITY. It does not say that he has yet to be CLEARED. Again, there is a big difference in those two words and they are not interchangeable in this context. This has been my point all along and the August article doesn't contradict or disprove what I've been saying and actually says the exact thing I've been saying this entire time.
Cliff Alexander's eligibility was also in question last year just like the August article says about Skal. What that means is that Kentucky is free to play Skal come November as of today if they wanted to because HE HAS NOT BEEN DEEMED INELIGIBLE. What will likely happen is the Skal will practice with UK and not dress on game days or travel with UK until the NCAA makes an official ruling on their impermissible benefits investigation. At that point 1 of 3 things will happen. Skal will either be cleared of of wrong doing and allowed to play without risk of UK forfeiting games, ruled permanently ineligible and will no longer be allowed to be around UK basketball, or he will be suspended for a set number of games and then allowed to play.
This is relevant to KU because Kentucky does come to AFH in January and Skal is being picked as a preseason 1st team All-American so he is a difference maker of a player.
Imagine if Cal had landed Lab and Diallo. UK would be the number 1 ranked "all-conditional team."
From what little I understand of these two players, I think I like our situation better. With Cheick, it is all about WHEN he gets cleared. Skal? Who knows... maybe his handler took out a loan? ;)
@JayHawkFanToo We are talking about Kentucky players because I want to know why in the EFF the media fools are writing articles that basically say SKal is cleared and Diallo wont be. UK is a better team than KU without Diallo. Not exact words but thats how I took them.
And we are talking about this because I am growing impatient!! #FreeCheickshowingatAFH
PS. I hate it when I misspell words
@drgnslayr I think Cheick is as well because his issue is black and white and he'll either be allowed to play or not. Skal's situation is a lot of gray area like Cliff's was and we don't know how the NCAA will rule. Honestly though, I think both will play and I'd love to see them go head to head 2/3 of the way through the season and bith are adjustes to college ball.
@Texas-Hawk-10 THAT is going to be an epic game! Im sure everyones calendars are circled,highlighted, exclamated and double booked for that one!! Im sure the media will hype it big time as a revenge game for KU and also Skal vs Diallo.
Skal didn't meet the requirements to play High School basketball his senior year do how is it you know he has met the NCAA academic requirements?
@NYCJhawk From my knowledge it is the fact that he moved schools that he was ineligible. Most high schools force students to sit out for a year so that students aren't moving just to play sports at certain schools for certain seasons. Pretend you were Bubba Starling at Gardner. You could have played QB for Gardner, basketball in Wichita with Perry and then baseball for whoever was the best team that year.
@Crimsonorblue22 In Tennessee it is a year.
AUDIO | Bill Self remains confident Cheick Diallo will play for KU this season http://kus.bz/1QyhvCr ↗ #kubball
@Statmachine Bah, I hate hearing stuff like this because it barely tells us anything. I mean, sure I want him to play but "this season" is so vague. Its so unsatisfying. I want to hear that he thinks he is going to play soon or he thinks that he likely won't play soon. That's all. He could sit out for all games except the last one and the statement about playing "this season" is still correct.
