Should the NCAA change the waivers they have in place for transfers?

On the surface, the NCAA transfer rule appear to fairly straight forward. If you decide to go from one Division I institution to another, you must sit out one season.

Its not a punishment. Its a regulation. The rule creates an incentive that's in place to prevent players from shopping their skills in between seasons.

Without this rule, a player would be able open himself up to recruitment by other teams and coaches during each and every offseason. Don't like how many minutes you're getting at Duke? Transfer. Get in a disagreement with the coaching staff at Kentucky? Transfer. When considered in combination with the four-in-five rule, which allows a player five years to exhaust their four seasons of eligibility once they play one season of collegiate athletics, it allows, at most, two transfers by any player. Even then, that player would be forced to lose a full season of competition.

But there are two ways around this rule:

• If a player receives their undergraduate degree from one university with eligibility left and wants to pursue a graduate degree at another institution that isn't offered at their current school, that player can apply for a waiver from the NCAA to be eligible immediately at the new school.


• If there are extenuating circumstances, involving anything from the illness of a close family member to financial hardships at home, then that player can apply to the NCAA for a hardship waiver that would allow them to be eligible immediately.
  

These issues have made quite a few headlines with a number of notable players of late. Sean Kowal was initially denied, and subsequently granted, his release from Northern Illinois when he tried to transfer out of the Huskies program to pursue a masters in theology. Justin Knox graduated from Alabama and was forced to run through hoops regarding where he was allowed to transfer before finally ending up at North Carolina. Eniel Polynice went to Seton Hall after finishing his degree at Ole Miss. On the football side, we all know the story of Jeremiah Masoli, who was kicked out of Oregon and initially denied clearance to play at Ole Miss before winning an appeal. Roburt Sallie tried to take this course of action when leaving Memphis, but he was unable to get himself eligible at Louisville.

Tyler Smith, who transferred from Iowa to Tennessee to be closer to his ailing father, and Elliot Williams, who went from Duke to Memphis to be near his mother who was sick, are two of the most well-known examples of players taking advantage of the NCAA's hardship waiver, while countless others -- Jordan Crawford, Herb Pope, Keon Lawrence, Matt Pilgrim, Armon Bassett, Julian Vaughn, and the list goes on -- have recently applied.

The teardrop tattoos on Tyler Smith's face are in honor of his father.
(photo credit: ESPN)

J'Mison Morgan is the latest to be granted the hardship waiver. It was announced yesterday that Morgan, who transferred out of UCLA, would be immediately eligible at Baylor because his grandmother, who is his legal guardian and the woman that raised him, has terminal cancer.

This is one situation where the NCAA gets it right. If a player legitimately wants to be able to be closer to an ailing family member that they care about -- like a parent or a grandparent or a sibling -- than I have no problem with the transfer rule being waived. Likewise, if a player legitimately is transferring in order to enroll in a graduate program that isn't offered at their current school, then I think they should be allowed to enroll without penalty.

The problem is that athletes are taking advantage of these rules. Both Polynice and Sallie were on the outs with their previous teams which forced their hands. Masoli, obviously, was kicked out of Oregon for disciplinary reasons. Many of the transfers that apply for the hardship waiver do so as a last resort. If they apply and get rejected, then they still have to sit out a season. But if they apply and come up with a good enough argument as to why they shouldn't have to sit out a season, then they are eligible immediately. There's no downside to trying.

Jay Bilas touched on this a few weeks back, and he dislikes any sort of rule that waives the one-year penalty:

There have been several recent cases in which players have essentially switched teams to pursue a degree not offered at a player's current school or to get closer to a sick immediate family member. Those players should still have to sit out a year. Nobody is stopping anyone from attending any school or transferring. The only hurdle that has to be cleared is sitting out a season. That is not too much of a burden, and it is fair. But it has to be applied to everyone across the board.

He's not alone in that sentiment. Quite a few coaches disagree with it as well.

The spirit of the rule is 100% correct. Take Kowal's case. He told Andy Katz last month he wanted to transfer to a different school because "it makes you more diverse and more marketable. I've always wanted to be a high school basketball coach, especially at my previous high school, a Jesuit school. It's a fit for me." His intent to transfer was, it seems, truly motivated by academics, and not athletics.

Sean Kowal seems to be using the NCAA's transfer waivers correctly.
(photo credit: ESPN)

Morgan's grandmother lives an easy 90 minutes drive from Baylor's Waco campus. Do you think he is going to value the chances he gets to drive back-and-forth to see her? Do you think that the opportunity for him to play in front of her on Dec. 18th, when Baylor takes on Gonzaga in Dallas, is something that is important to him?

So what is the answer?

Does the NCAA need to reevaluate how often they grant these waivers? Possibly, but reducing the number of waivers would likely result in some athletes with legitimate cases being forced to sit out, while becoming more liberal in which cases are granted a waiver would only increase the incentive for a player to transfer. If it is less likely that a player will be forced to sit out a season, its more likely that player will bolt for greener pastures.

Another option is that the NCAA could eliminate the waivers. But doing so would punish kids like Sean Kowal, true student-athletes that are utilizing athletic scholarships in order to educate themselves and avoid the mountain of student loans so many young adults are currently trying to climb. It is less of an issue with someone like J'Mison Morgan, as the standard argument against the hardship waiver is that if the player is really dealing with an issue pressing enough to necessitate a transfer, should they be spending all of their time playing basketball?

As far as I'm concerned, no changes need to be made.

Players that transfer need to understand that the rule is that they must sit out one season if they decide to transfer. If you have a legitimate argument as to why you shouldn't be forced to sit out a year, then in most cases the NCAA will grant you a waiver if you apply. If someone catches a break and receives a waiver outside of the spirit of the rules, well, good for them for exploiting a loophole. It happens all the time with the NCAA.

And if you don't receive a waiver, that sucks, but that's life.

You'll simply have to follow the NCAA's rule.

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Four Tennessee players arrested last night

UPDATED AGAIN: Per Gary Parrish, Bruce Pearl plans on suspending the four players, then gathering more details before determining who will continue their career as a Volunteer and when.


UPDATE: SB Nation via Wes Rucker is reporting that the players were arrested at 11:27 am with two guns under the front seat, drugs, and an open container of alcohol.


Four University of Tennessee players were arrested today at noon.

Cam Tatum, Tyler Smith, Brian Williams, and Melvin Goins are facing charges of misdemeanor drug and weapons possession after a traffic stop in Knoxville.

"We take these matters very seriously," UT coach Bruce Pearl said in a statement released by UT. "We are still gathering information. Once the appropriate authorities have provided us with all of the facts, we will act accordingly."

Tyler Smith is a senior and the Vols leader, averaging 11.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, and 3.7 apg, while Tatum (8.6 ppg), Williams (5.9 ppg, 5.4 rpg), and Melvin Goins (6.1 ppg) are role players.

If you remember, two months ago three Tennessee football players were arrested for an alleged armed robbery.

Assuming these allegations are correct, Bruce Pearl is probably going to have to hand out some suspensions. A mid-season arrest involving weapons and drugs is bad news, especially when you consider that Tennessee will be playing Charlotte and Kansas at home in their next two games before starting SEC play.

More on this as the news comes.

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No. 12: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Tennessee Volunteers

2008-2009 Record: 21-13, 10-6 SEC East (t-1st)

Key Losses: Josh Tabb (3.4 ppg), Emmanuel Negedu (1.9 ppg, 1.7 rpg)

Key Returners: Tyler Smith (17.4 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 3.4 apg), Wayne Chism (13.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg), JP Prince (9.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.5 spg), Bobby Maze (8.2 ppg, 3.3 apg)

Newcomers: Melvin Goins, Josh Bone, Skylar McBee

Tyler Smith will be the Vols leader once again.
(photo credit: YouGotDunkedOn)

As has been the case since Bruce Pearl arrived in Knoxville, Tennessee will be loaded with talent, athletes, and potential. The Vols get their top seven scorers back from last season, and a lot is going to be expected of this team.

The best player will once again be Tyler Smith. Smith is such a difficult match-up on the floor. He plays the power forward spot, but his skill set is much more suited to being a small forward. His offensive game is perimeter oriented, as he is the most successful when he is putting the ball on the floor and attacking. Smith is the best creator for the Vols, and since so many other guys on the floor are going to struggle to create their own shots, he will be instrumental in the Tennessee offense.

Joining Smith up front will be Wayne Chism. Chism is a big body in the post and has shown an ability to score with his back to the basket, but he has a tendency to fade to the perimeter. While Chism is not a bad shooter, in fact it is an asset because he does have some ability to put the ball on the floor, he will sometimes fall in love with the shot. The more he stays in the paint, the more effective Chism is. Brian Williams is the other big man on this roster. Williams has a soft touch and is an effective rebounder, but he has battled weight and conditioning issues throughout his career. Freshman Kenny Hall will also provide a lot of minutes. Hall gained a lot of hype throughout his senior season in high school. He is a 6'9", athletic big man that has shown signs of having a decent back-to-the-basket game.

At the point is where Tennessee had some issues last year. They were a bit thin to start the year as Ramar Smith, who was expected to share time with Bobby Maze, was kicked out of the program before the season started. Maze had a solid, if unspectacular, junior campaign. He showed flashes of being a big-time point guard, but all in all he was inconsistent. Tennessee is going to need more play-making from the point guard spot this year, and junior Melvin Goins may be able to help. Goins is a strong ball handler and creator, but he isn't the scoring presence that Maze is. He should also add some defensive intensity, which will be just as important.

On the wings, Tennessee has a number of guys that will play. JP Prince, Cam Tatum, Scottie Hopson, and Renaldo Woolridge will all play significant minutes. And to be honest, there is not a lot of difference between these guys. Prince is probably the best, as he is an excellent defender and can create off the bounce offensively. Cam Tatum was probably the most dangerous of the group on the offensive end. He is a bit streaky, but when he is hot he can score in bunches. Scottie Hopson and Renaldo Woolridge are similar players - they are both long, athletic perimeter guys with a ton of potential that have yet to really learn how to utilize their physical tools. When its all said and done, these four guys are essentially interchangeable, but if the Vols want to win the SEC, someone from this group is going to need to step up their game and become an all-league caliber player.

Outlook: Tennessee did not press as much as last season as many people expected. Why? Because they were young and Pearl did not think that they had the ability, especially in the back court, to be effective. This season, expect the Vols to play at a much quicker pace. Offensively, Tennessee is going to be at their best when they are playing in the full court. Outside of Smith, they really don't have anyone that opponents will fear in the half court. Maze is decent, Chism and Hall can be good, but overall they were stagnant and forced too many tough threes last season. If guys like Maze, Tatum, Goins, and Prince can provide the first level of defense on the Vols press, than Tennessee has a chance to be very, very good simply because there are so many guys that are long and athletic. Think about how effective Louisville's press was last season with Terrence Williams and Earl Clark wreaking havoc picking off passes. My biggest worry with Tennessee is that they did, in fact, bring everyone back. The Vols were a disappointing team given their talent level last season. Unless some of their key guys developed during the off-season, this ranking could look way too high come March.
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Tyler Smith and Dominique Archie returning to school

TYLER SMITH HEADED BACK TO TENNESSEE: On Thursday afternoon, Volunteer forward Tyler Smith announced at a press conference his intentions to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to school.

Smith probably was not going to be picked in the first round, and after flirting with the idea of heading to Europe, Smith made the (correct, in our opinion) decision to return to Knoxville for his senior season.

Tennessee has a chance to be very, very good. They return everyone that matters from the 2008-09 team that won a share of the SEC East title, which means that (once again) they are going to be a team loaded with size, length, and athleticism on the perimeter. The problem is that while they bring back a ton of talent, they don't add anything into the mix, which means that more than likely the Vols are not going to be filling the holes in their roster.

And there were plenty of holes on that team last season. After Bobby Maze, who is a talented but inconsistent point guard, the Vols do not really have a viable option as a back-up. That role landed on guys like Josh Tabb, Cam Tatum, JP Prince, and even Tyler Smith. The Vols also had a problem with three-point shooting - Bruce Pearl encourages his guys to fire away, which would be great if any of them understood a) what a good shot is and b) that being encouraged to shoot when you are open does not a Stephen Curry make.

Their only signed recruit is 6'8" power forward Kenny Hall, a top 100 recruit that will bolster their front court depth.

In terms of raw ability, Tennessee is going to be a top 10-15 team, which is probably where they will be ranked in most pre-season polls. But unless they have a couple guys develop a three-point stroke, the Vols are going to be in danger of underachieving again next season.


SOUTH CAROLINA GETS DOMINIQUE ARCHIE BACK, STILL WAITING ON DEVAN DOWNEY: Darrin Horn and the Gamecocks get a big boost as Archie pulls his name out of the draft. Not really a surprise here, as all along Archie had said that he was only looking to get feedback from the NBA people and was planning on returning.

A 6'7" swingman, Archie averaged 10.9 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.5 spg, and 1.2 bpg last season. More than anything, his experience and leadership will be important for South Carolina (Archie is a fifth year senior).

Now the Gamecocks turn their attention to Downey. Downey was one of the best scorers in the country this past season, averaging just under 20 ppg. He is projected to be, at best, a late second round pick this year. But there have already been rumors that Downey plans on staying in the draft and heading to Europe if he isn't picked.

If Downey returns, it probably would put the Gamecocks in position to make a run at an NCAA tournament berth even with the loss of senior Zam Frederick.

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