Mikayla Coombs to Georgia [merged thread]

[CL82]

I only said forced and it was a small comment you decided to blow up. Fact is, we don't know if she was or wasn't asked to leave the team. No one would've assumed she was but Geno making a comment like that naturally makes people question what happened.

My main point was that the circumstances surrounding AEH's departure are different than the circumstances surrounding Coombs, so I wouldn't expect Coombs to get immediate clearance because AEH did.

And I'm saying that "forced" comment BS. Expect me to point that out every time you use it.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

AEH departed UCONN on January 12th before spring semester classes started on Jan 16th. Her stated destination was attending community college. On February 7th announced her commitment to Mississippi State ~ a month after the spring term at MSU began. The NCAA approved her waiver request on Nov 7th, which means the waiver was likely submitted in the summer.
BTW it was AEH who said that UCONN "was not a good fit" for her and she also stated regret about not visiting other schools during her first recruiting process. Of course, how many schools did AEH visit in her second recruiting? That would be one.

So did she not attend the spring semester at Miss. State? Then on what basis did she get a waiver? Is there one set of rules for the middling schools, and another set for favored big-time schools? Notre Dame? Mississippi State?

What gives?

 

[CocoHusky]

1) Does NLI still matter once you are enrolled and on campus? (Serious question)
2) EDD is very complimentary on how Geno treated her after she left. Seems inconsistent with what you are saying.

Q: Does NLI still matter once you are enrolled and on campus?
A: No.

C: EDD is very complimentary on how Geno treated her after she left. Seems inconsistent with what you are saying.
R: The entire family especially Ernie the dad was very complimentary of how compassionately Geno handled the entire situation. The most important thing about that is that Geno sensed very early on that this was a classic case of basketball burnout. EDD was on the national stage since she was 11 when she won her first AAU national Championship. The release from the signed NLI was a different really (mechanical issue) which would have allowed her to receive a basketball athletic scholarship from Delaware or any other university. UCONN did not release her but at the time it did not matter because she had no interest in playing basketball.

 

[DefenseBB]

Joni's teams usually play good defense and her recruiting should gradually improve. I'm sure Georgia's lake of fan support makes it tough to recruit, which is why it's taking some time to turn it around. Brylcream left the cupboard bare.

Well, I am no fan of “Brylcrean” (that’s an awesome nickname!) but as recently as 2012-13 he did finish 3rd for 4 times in a row in the SEC and did make the Elite 8. His last 2 years in SEC play were not good though the team had 21, 19 wins. Joni was also on those staffs so she contributed to their subpar efforts. Her cupboards were not bare. Her recruiting is OK at best when trying to compete with Tenn, KY, MSU and of course, SC. I simply don’t see the upside others do. She gets the kids to play hard but nothing is Elite, and you need Elite recruits which is what it takes to be perennial favorites.

 

[CocoHusky]

So did she not attend the spring semester at Miss. State? Then on what basis did she get a waiver? Is there one set of rules for the middling schools, and another set for favored big-time schools? Notre Dame? Mississippi State?
What gives?

OMG! What are you even talking about?
You had to be enrolled to submit a waiver application. AEH could have been enrolled in spring, summer, or fall.
ND submitted an application for Shepard it was approved.
MSU submitted an application for AEH and it was approved.
MSU also submitted an application for Promise Taylor and it was denied.
South Carolina submitted an application for Cooper and it was denied.
Florida State submitted an application for Chatrice White and it was approved.
UCONN WBB did not submit an application for Natalie Butler, Batouly Camara or Azura Stevens .
Please let me know what you consider a big time school and if you see a pattern in the NCAA decisions.

 

[triaddukefan]

Lawd hamercy

 

[UConnNick]

Historically the NCAA seems to treat these cases on an individual basis, without always applying the same rules for everybody. One really interesting decision was made regarding QB Case Keenum at Houston. He had a one year non-medical redshirt season, then played four seasons. As a redshirt senior, he was injured early in the season, maybe second game. If you're injured early enough without having played something like 30 percent of the games, you can apply for the waiver.

He was granted a sixth year of eligibility, which is very hard to get when one of your seasons was a non-medical redshirt. Although Houston was in C-USA at the time, he had been a fairly high profile QB nationally, and had set a lot of records. That plus he was a poster boy for the quintessential college student-athlete, and a person of faith. That all seemed to play into the NCAA's decision to grant him the sixth year of eligibility.

The point is the NCAA seems to decide these cases on a very individual basis. There's no way to know what influences their decisions for sure because they seem to look at a lot of factors. In Keenum's case, they seemed to value his personna and high profile as a college student-athlete. Whether it was particularly fair or not to grant him the exception is another matter when you compare his case to others that weren't granted that same privilege.

 

[CL82]

UCONN WBB did not submit an application for Natalie Butler, Batouly Camara or Azura Stevens .

Interesting post. What source did you use to determine who asked for a waiver and who did not?

 

[CocoHusky]

Interesting post. What source did you use to determine who asked for a waiver and who did not?

"I don't have an answer behind those other programs what happened, why some kids are eligible and some kids are not," Auriemma said. "I just know that our two (Azura and Batouly) are not. From talking to them, it doesn't seem like there is anything that would make me think 'OK we should go and pursue this.' I don't know happened that those other players were able to do that. If I felt there were something there, I would pursue it but it would be dishonest for me to think there is when there isn't."'
The New Haven Register Blogs: Elm City to Eagleville: No immediate eligibility for UConn's transfers

 

[UConnCat]

"I don't have an answer behind those other programs what happened, why some kids are eligible and some kids are not," Auriemma said. "I just know that our two (Azura and Batouly) are not. From talking to them, it doesn't seem like there is anything that would make me think 'OK we should go and pursue this.' I don't know happened that those other players were able to do that. If I felt there were something there, I would pursue it but it would be dishonest for me to think there is when there isn't."'
The New Haven Register Blogs: Elm City to Eagleville: No immediate eligibility for UConn's transfers

In retrospect, a mistake at least with respect to Azura.

I've said previously, however, that there was little chance the NCAA would have granted a waiver to Azura with UConn coming off 4 straight national championships.

 

[UConnNick]

"I don't have an answer behind those other programs what happened, why some kids are eligible and some kids are not," Auriemma said. "I just know that our two (Azura and Batouly) are not. From talking to them, it doesn't seem like there is anything that would make me think 'OK we should go and pursue this.' I don't know happened that those other players were able to do that. If I felt there were something there, I would pursue it but it would be dishonest for me to think there is when there isn't."'
The New Haven Register Blogs: Elm City to Eagleville: No immediate eligibility for UConn's transfers

Translation: With UCONN hater Mark Emmert in charge of the NCAA, there wasn't an icicles chance in hell that the NCAA would have made any exception to grant immediate eligibility to any UCONN transfers.

 

[CocoHusky]

In retrospect, a mistake at least with respect to Azura.

I agree. Natalie Butler probably had the best case for a waiver because she left Georgetown after Keith Brown was made to resign after abusive language directed at the players.

 

[oldude]

Just some speculation on Mikayla's waiver request. She will be playing within 100 miles of her home at UGA. While I have heard nothing to substantiate this, is it possible that she may be requesting a medical waiver due to a family illness?

 

[CocoHusky]

Translation: With UCONN hater Mark Emmert in charge of the NCAA, there wasn't an icicles chance in hell that the NCAA would have made any exception to grant immediate eligibility to any UCONN transfers.

I'm not buying into this UCONN bias by the NCAA as it concerns the waiver process for WCBB. Why should I, when UCONN has never submitted a request? I see inconsistency and lack of transparency in the process (stupidity and perhaps incompetence) but not a UCONN bias. Too many people are acting as if UCONN submitted a waiver and ND submitted a waiver and the result was ND's was accepted ad UCONN's was denied. That is not what happened. People are also acting like ND was the first waiver granted by the NCAA which is also not true. Clearly ND benefited from the waiver process. I dislike ND WCBB because I'm a UCONN fan but I can't blame ND for submitting. Talk to me after UCONN actually submits a request. Until then as Kara Larson would say It's all reckless conjecture".

 

[UConnCat]

Translation: With UCONN hater Mark Emmert in charge of the NCAA, there wasn't an icicles chance in hell that the NCAA would have made any exception to grant immediate eligibility to any UCONN transfers.

More likely there was no way the NCAA was going to grant a waiver that would make UConn stronger coming off 4 straight national championships. The outrage over such a decision would have been deafening.

 

[CocoHusky]

Just some speculation on Mikayla's waiver request. She will be playing within 100 miles of her home at UGA. While I have heard nothing to substantiate this, is it possible that she may be requesting a medical waiver due to a family illness?

Mikayla's waiver request? Has than been established as a reality?

 

[oldude]

Mikayla's waiver request? Has than been established as a reality?

According to multiple media outlets

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/colleges/former-uconn-guard-mikayla-coombs-transfers-to-georgia/2019/05/06/bc883a8c-703e-11e9-9331-30bc5836f48e_story.html?utm_term=.bafc8b7e683e

 

[UConnNick]

I'm not buying into this UCONN bias by the NCAA as it concerns the waiver process for WCBB. Why should I, when UCONN has never submitted a request? I see inconsistency and lack of transparency in the process (stupidity and perhaps incompetence) but not a UCONN bias. Too many people are acting as if UCONN submitted a waiver and ND submitted a waiver and the result was ND's was accepted ad UCONN's was denied. That is not what happened. People are also acting like ND was the first Waiver granted by the NCAA which is also not true. Clearly ND benefited from the waiver process. I dislike ND WCBB because I'm a UCONN fan but I can't blame ND for submitting. Talk to me after UCONN actually submits a request. Until then as Kara Larson would say It's all reckless conjecture".

We have a long history of mutual animosity regarding Emmert, thanks to his gross mismanagement of UCONN's building program when he was Chancellor, and acrimonious parting. I maintain that Geno refuses to apply for the waivers because he already knows what the answer will be. He has deliberately gone out of his way to ignore Emmert on the victory podium at past Final Fours.

Emmert basically made up a rule just for UCONN when he retroactively applied the APR rule to a situation with the men's BB team that didn't exist anymore. The result was a one year postseason ban in 2013. He made up a punitive, retroactive rule just to punish only us.

Emmert goes out of his way at every conceivable opportunity to stick it to UCONN. Geno was likely resigned to the fact that both parties hate each other, and filing the paperwork would be a total waste of time.

 

[HuskyNan]

Q: Does NLI still matter once you are enrolled and on campus?
A: No.

C: EDD is very complimentary on how Geno treated her after she left. Seems inconsistent with what you are saying.
R: The entire family especially Ernie the dad was very complimentary of how compassionately Geno handled the entire situation. The most important thing about that is that Geno sensed very early on that this was a classic case of basketball burnout. EDD was on the national stage since she was 11 when she won her first AAU national Championship. The release from the signed NLI was a different really (mechanical issue) which would have allowed her to receive a basketball athletic scholarship from Delaware or any other university. UCONN did not release her but at the time it did not matter because she had no interest in playing basketball.

Gathering storm: Long Island standout Kia Wright ends up at St. John's after short stint at UConn

Kim Barnes Arico checked her voicemail. The St. John's women's basketball coach thought it was a prank-a bad one.'She had left me a couple messages…

dailyorange.com

 

[CocoHusky]

We have a long history of mutual animosity regarding Emmert, thanks to his gross mismanagement of UCONN's building program when he was Chancellor, and acrimonious parting. I maintain that Geno refuses to apply for the waivers because he already knows what the answer will be. He has deliberately gone out of his way to ignore Emmert on the victory podium at past Final Fours.
Emmert basically made up a rule just for UCONN when he retroactively applied the APR rule to a situation with the men's BB team that didn't exist anymore. The result was a one year postseason ban in 2013. He made up a punitive, retroactive rule just to punish only us.
Emmert goes out of his way at every conceivable opportunity to stick it to UCONN. Geno was likely resigned to the fact that both parties hate each other, and filing the paperwork would be a total waste of time.

Let's get back to talking about the waiver process and WCBB. Your contention is: Emmert gave ND a waiver just so he could screw over UCONN WCBB? Over 70% of the waiver that were requested last year in WCBB were approved. Was that also to screw over UCONN WCBB?

 

[CL82]

"I don't have an answer behind those other programs what happened, why some kids are eligible and some kids are not," Auriemma said. "I just know that our two (Azura and Batouly) are not. From talking to them, it doesn't seem like there is anything that would make me think 'OK we should go and pursue this.' I don't know happened that those other players were able to do that. If I felt there were something there, I would pursue it but it would be dishonest for me to think there is when there isn't."'
The New Haven Register Blogs: Elm City to Eagleville: No immediate eligibility for UConn's transfers

I remember this article. I interpreted as UConn applied and was turned down but did not look to appeal.

"I don't have an answer behind those other programs what happened, why some kids are eligible and some kids are not," Auriemma said. "I just know that our two (Azura and Batouly) are not. From talking to them, it doesn't seem like there is anything that would make me think 'OK we should go and pursue this.' I don't know happened that those other players were able to do that. If I felt there were something there, I would pursue it but it would be dishonest for me to think there is when there isn't."'

How would Geno "know" unless he applied for waiver...

Looking at it today I can see how you would read it otherwise, essentially Geno reviewing the rule seeing that Z and Camara didn't fit any established exceptions and decided not to file.

 

[JoePgh]

And I'm saying that "forced" comment BS. Expect me to point that out every time you use it.

In any workplace in which I have worked or heard about, and probably in any workplace in America, when the boss says, "I don't want you here", he is asking for your resignation. If he then says the same thing to a group of influential outsiders (e.g., customers), that makes it even more emphatic. Basically, he is saying that it is in your best interest to resign, and you can't expect anything good to come from your staying.

So in substance, AEH was coerced to leave. Whether it got to the point that Geno actually pulled her scholarship is irrelevant.

I think the NCAA would and should understand that and take it into consideration when deciding whether to grant her a waiver.

 

[CL82]

In any workplace in which I have worked or heard about, and probably in any workplace in America, when the boss says, "I don't want you here", he is asking for your resignation. If he then says the same thing to a group of influential outsiders (e.g., customers), that makes it even more emphatic. Basically, he is saying that it is in your best interest to resign, and you can't expect anything good to come from your staying.

So in substance, AEH was coerced to leave. Whether it got to the point that Geno actually pulled her scholarship is irrelevant.

I think the NCAA would and should understand that and take it into consideration when deciding whether to grant her a waiver.

There's no evidence that he said to her. I read that as Geno saying essentially saying yeah she transferred but she wasn't a productive part of our team.

 

[Biff]

I'm not buying into this UCONN bias by the NCAA as it concerns the waiver process for WCBB. Why should I, when UCONN has never submitted a request? I see inconsistency and lack of transparency in the process (stupidity and perhaps incompetence) but not a UCONN bias. Too many people are acting as if UCONN submitted a waiver and ND submitted a waiver and the result was ND's was accepted ad UCONN's was denied. That is not what happened. People are also acting like ND was the first Waiver granted by the NCAA which is also not true. Clearly ND benefited from the waiver process. I dislike ND WCBB because I'm a UCONN fan but I can't blame ND for submitting. Talk to me after UCONN actually submits a request. Until then as Kara Larson would say It's all reckless conjecture".

It is these (bolded) characteristic, which I agree are prominent in NCAA actions, that people filter through their respective team colored lenses and come to their team specific conclusions of bias. As I think you are stating, the "problem" is much more generic across the NCAA methods and process execution.

 

[UConnNick]

Let's get back to talking about the waiver process and WCBB. Your contention is: Emmert gave ND a waiver just so he could screw over UCONN WCBB? Over 70% of the waiver that were requested last year in WCBB were approved. Was that also to screw over UCONN WCBB?

No, I never indicated that. I only indicated Emmert has an axe to grind with UCONN, and he's done so repeatedly.

 

[UConnCat]

In any workplace in which I have worked or heard about, and probably in any workplace in America, when the boss says, "I don't want you here", he is asking for your resignation. If he then says the same thing to a group of influential outsiders (e.g., customers), that makes it even more emphatic. Basically, he is saying that it is in your best interest to resign, and you can't expect anything good to come from your staying.

So in substance, AEH was coerced to leave. Whether it got to the point that Geno actually pulled her scholarship is irrelevant.

I think the NCAA would and should understand that and take it into consideration when deciding whether to grant her a waiver.

Geno's comments to a small group of fans ("influential outsiders???") were made after the announcement that AEH was transferring. Hence, those comments made nothing more emphatic to AEH.

She was asked to leave and she knew why. I'm sure Geno was pretty emphatic about it.

 

[Fairfield Fan]

So my question stands. Is there any rational basis for either accepting or denying waiver requests? Why in the world would Coombs be granted a waiver request after having played two full seasons? And why would AEH have been granted a waiver when she wasn't even enrolled in the second semester of her freshman year at Mississippi State? I can understand a situation in which a coach who has recruited a kid leaves before she arrives, or shortly after she arrives, if that coach was the one reason for going to that school. But otherwise, why would two UConn transfers be given special consideration?

It seems from this thread that this is a corrupt part of the NCAA. If Azura is not considered for a waiver, but a kid going to ND is, WTF?

Just asking if anyone knows a rational basis for these decisions. If no, then we'll go from there.

 

[UConnCat]

So my question stands. Is there any rational basis for either accepting or denying waiver requests? Why in the world would Coombs be granted a waiver request after having played two full seasons? And why would AEH have been granted a waiver when she wasn't even enrolled in the second semester of her freshman year at Mississippi State? I can understand a situation in which a coach who has recruited a kid leaves before she arrives, or shortly after she arrives, if that coach was the one reason for going to that school. But otherwise, why would two UConn transfers be given special consideration?

It doesn't matter that AEH was not enrolled for the 2nd semester. It only mattered that she would be enrolled for the fall semester. I'm not sure how many times that needs to be said. Plus, had she enrolled at Miss State for the spring semester she would not have filed for a waiver as she would have been eligible to play in early December.

Why are you saying that "two UConn transfers were given special consideration?" Coombs has not been granted a waiver. Her transfer to Georgia was just announced yesterday!!

It seems from this thread that this is a corrupt part of the NCAA. If Azura is not considered for a waiver, but a kid going to ND is, WTF?

Just asking if anyone knows a rational basis for these decisions. If no, then we'll go from there.

Again, no waiver petition was filed for Azura.

 

[CocoHusky]

So my question stands. Is there any rational basis for either accepting or denying waiver requests? Why in the world would Coombs be granted a waiver request after having played two full seasons? And why would AEH have been granted a waiver when she wasn't even enrolled in the second semester of her freshman year at Mississippi State? I can understand a situation in which a coach who has recruited a kid leaves before she arrives, or shortly after she arrives, if that coach was the one reason for going to that school. But otherwise, why would two UConn transfers be given special consideration?
It seems from this thread that this is a corrupt part of the NCAA. If Azura is not considered for a waiver, but a kid going to ND is, WTF?

Just asking if anyone knows a rational basis for these decisions. If no, then we'll go from there.

Q: Is there any rational basis for either accepting or denying waiver requests?
A: No. This is the NCAA you are dealing with and the process is confidential.

Q: Why in the world would Coombs be granted a waiver request after having played two full seasons?
A: Mikayla Coombs has not been granted a waiver request. Georgia is about to submit a request for Mikayla. The waiver request has nothing to do with how many season(s) partial or full a player has played. This request simply is a request not to sit out a year before competing at the new school.

Q: Why would AEH have been granted a waiver when she wasn't even enrolled in the second semester of her freshman year at Mississippi State?
A: We do not know when AEH enrolled at Mississippi State. Regardless, the request is for "immediate" eligibility: To play in the very first game of the season after being enrolled. For AEH that was November of 2018 at the earliest.

C: I can understand a situation in which a coach who has recruited a kid leaves before she arrives, or shortly after she arrives, if that coach was the one reason for going to that school.
R: You might want to check your understanding because there is no such consideration in the NCAA waiver process.

Q: But otherwise, why would two UConn transfers be given special consideration?
A: The entire waiver process is about special consideration. AEH has gone through the process and been approved. Mikayla is about to go through the process let's see what happen.

C: It seems from this thread that this is a corrupt part of the NCAA.
R: Corrupt implies that money is changing hands, this is NCAA WCBB there is no money to change hands with. Try a different adjective like incompetent or inconsistent.

Q: If Azura is not considered for a waiver, but a kid going to ND is, WTF?
A: Hopefully for the last time! UCONN did not submit a waiver request for Azura. ND submitted a waiver for Jessica Shepard and that waiver was approved just like request were approved for 38 other colleges last year not named ND or UCONN.

 

[MilfordHusky]

I'm not sure how you or anyone would know this. Again our sample size is VERY VERY small=1. As in 1 player who has left UCONN WBB and applied for a waiver. EDD transferred and was not released form her signed NLI which would have made her immediately eligible back in the day.

EDD had no desire to play basketball--reportedly--when she left UConn.