Mikayla Coombs to Georgia [merged thread]

[JSB60]

My opinion of the NCAA is such that I expect any player leaving UCONN (man or woman) to get a waiver and any player transferring to UCONN not to. I don't have a problem with any player getting the waiver, though, and I hope Mikayla gets one.

 

[bballnut90]

So, let’s just put this to rest for once and for all. Are you alleging that Geno pulled her scholarship? If he didn’t, then he didn’t “force her to leave. Wow I would’ve preferred that Geno didn’t acknowledge the bad fit, that’s different than “forcing her out.”

I'm not alleging anything about her scholarship. All I know is he publicly stated, "I didn't want her there anymore." Even if she didn't have her scholarship pulled or wasn't kicked off the team, having her coach make a blunt public statement about not wanting her on the team probably helped her case for immediate eligibility.

 

[HuskyNan]

Why?

Tom is the site owner. It’s been his rule for decades

 

[CocoHusky]

She was granted a waiver by the NCAA to obtain immediate eligibility upon leaving UCONN. Not sure if she stayed spring semester or not but I believe she enrolled at MSU last summer.

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.

 

[UConnCat]

I'm not alleging anything about her scholarship. All I know is he publicly stated, "I didn't want her there anymore." Even if she didn't have her scholarship pulled or wasn't kicked off the team, having her coach make a blunt public statement about not wanting her on the team probably helped her case for immediate eligibility.

Actually he didn't state it publicly. He said it at a private fan gathering (no media) and his comments were recorded by an attendee and posted on youtube.

 

[CL82]

I'm not alleging anything about her scholarship. All I know is he publicly stated, "I didn't want her there anymore." Even if she didn't have her scholarship pulled or wasn't kicked off the team, having her coach make a blunt public statement about not wanting her on the team probably helped her case for immediate eligibility.

Got it, so since there is no basis for the BS "forced her out" "kicked her off the team" language, let's not use it? Kind of trollish, no?

I'm don't think that there is a transfer exception for "didn't want me on the team." But I do know that Geno doesn't oppose transferring players playing immediately. That can't be said about about other coaches.

 

[CocoHusky]

I'm don't think that there is a transfer exception for "didn't want me on the team." But I do know that Geno doesn't oppose transferring players playing immediately. That can't be said about about other coaches.

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.

 

[eebmg]

Perhaps Geno may have issue with players playing immediately out of conference but would be more than happy if they played in conference.

 

[CL82]

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.

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.

 

[bballnut90]

Got it, so since there is no basis for the BS "forced her out" "kicked her off the team" language, let's not use it? Kind of trollish, no?

I'm don't think that there is a transfer exception for "didn't want me on the team." But I do know that Geno doesn't oppose transferring players playing immediately. That can't be said about about other coaches.

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.

 

[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.