Enes Kanter ruled ineligible

The NCAA's final ruling has come down, and its not good news for Enes Kanter or the Kentucky Wildcats.

The NCAA Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee has upheld the NCAA's previous ruling and determined that Kanter is permanently ineligible from participating in collegiate athletics as a result of the money he received from a Turkish Club before he came to the United States.

Interestingly enough, Kanter will be allowed to remain with the Kentucky team acting as a student-manager, but he will not be allowed to practice. You can read the NCAA's full release here.

Can't say that was a surprise.

I feel for Kanter, I really do. I believe that he never intended on being a professional and that he truly does care about being a student and a student-athlete.

That said, the fact of the matter is that Kanter got paid to play basketball. In the NCAA's eyes, that means he is a professional. There isn't much Kentucky was going to be able to say to convince them otherwise once all the facts came out.

The good news for Kentucky fans?

Josh Harrellson has been pretty good this year.