Post by elp525 on Aug 25, 2011 4:00:56 GMT -5
August 24, 2011
By Dave Hickman
The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN - When the last piece of West Virginia's recruiting puzzle finally fell into place Wednesday, Bob Huggins wasn't nearly as happy for himself and his basketball program as he was for Jabarie Hinds.
"I'm just happy for him,'' Huggins said. "Can you imagine how he felt going through all of this and not knowing?''
Hinds, arguably the best player in Huggins' large recruiting class, was finally cleared Wednesday by the NCAA's Initial Eligibility Center after a summer of delays. The point guard from New York can now enroll and will be eligible for the coming season.
He is part of a recruiting class that features five other freshmen and a junior college transfer. But Hinds missed West Virginia's summer workouts and a two-week tour of Italy from which the team returned Sunday.
He missed all of that because he hadn't been cleared by the NCAA to enroll at West Virginia. And while Huggins certainly would have preferred that his point guard could have participated during the summer and - like the rest of the newcomers - gotten a head start on the season, he said Wednesday that he understands the dilemma that the NCAA faced.
Hinds had not completed his required work in time for a quicker certification by the NCAA, and by the time he had finished the NCAA's clearinghouse was busy with more immediate matters, namely certifying athletes across the country who are competing in fall sports.
"They've got all these sports that they've got to clear,'' Huggins said. "We thought it was pretty much just a matter of time and a foregone conclusion, but the NCAA has other issues right now.''
Hinds' certification by the NCAA came just in time. Students must enroll by Friday or they cannot do so until the spring semester.
Hinds is a 5-foot-11, 165-pound point guard from Mount Vernon High School in New York, the same school that produced current WVU star Kevin Jones. He was rated a Top 100 player in the 2011 recruiting class and one of the Top 20 point guards.
The rest of West Virginia's newcomers arrived during the summer, although the other point guard in the class, Gary Browne, was forced to skip the trip to Italy when the NCAA flagged his eligibility. That issue was later ironed out, but Browne still missed the foreign tour.
Huggins said Wednesday night that there do not appear to be any more enrollment issues that his players will face.
"They're all good to go,'' he said.
By Dave Hickman
The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN - When the last piece of West Virginia's recruiting puzzle finally fell into place Wednesday, Bob Huggins wasn't nearly as happy for himself and his basketball program as he was for Jabarie Hinds.
"I'm just happy for him,'' Huggins said. "Can you imagine how he felt going through all of this and not knowing?''
Hinds, arguably the best player in Huggins' large recruiting class, was finally cleared Wednesday by the NCAA's Initial Eligibility Center after a summer of delays. The point guard from New York can now enroll and will be eligible for the coming season.
He is part of a recruiting class that features five other freshmen and a junior college transfer. But Hinds missed West Virginia's summer workouts and a two-week tour of Italy from which the team returned Sunday.
He missed all of that because he hadn't been cleared by the NCAA to enroll at West Virginia. And while Huggins certainly would have preferred that his point guard could have participated during the summer and - like the rest of the newcomers - gotten a head start on the season, he said Wednesday that he understands the dilemma that the NCAA faced.
Hinds had not completed his required work in time for a quicker certification by the NCAA, and by the time he had finished the NCAA's clearinghouse was busy with more immediate matters, namely certifying athletes across the country who are competing in fall sports.
"They've got all these sports that they've got to clear,'' Huggins said. "We thought it was pretty much just a matter of time and a foregone conclusion, but the NCAA has other issues right now.''
Hinds' certification by the NCAA came just in time. Students must enroll by Friday or they cannot do so until the spring semester.
Hinds is a 5-foot-11, 165-pound point guard from Mount Vernon High School in New York, the same school that produced current WVU star Kevin Jones. He was rated a Top 100 player in the 2011 recruiting class and one of the Top 20 point guards.
The rest of West Virginia's newcomers arrived during the summer, although the other point guard in the class, Gary Browne, was forced to skip the trip to Italy when the NCAA flagged his eligibility. That issue was later ironed out, but Browne still missed the foreign tour.
Huggins said Wednesday night that there do not appear to be any more enrollment issues that his players will face.
"They're all good to go,'' he said.
