Wow

[wily coyote]

Not sure why the magic M word (Maniscalco) was uttered. There's strong evidence that this transfer was academic-based, not athletic-based. This guy is a student who's looking to become an athlete too, while most other people who use this rule use it as an athlete who happens to be a student.

In fact, that's probably where the disconnect comes in. Martelli probably feels like he's got to be the one guy to stand up and prevent abuse of this transfer rule, yet his prevention is actually against a guy who's using it correctly in the spirit of the rule.

TSA, I hate to disagree with you on your first paragraph but that is pure hogwash. The people who know the situation know Sammy said if JL is gone he is also. That's a known fact. If JL was here today Sammy would be our PG. Yes what he did was legal and above board but what St.J is doing will come back and bite them in the b-tt.At least I hope so .

[TheAsianSensation]

TSA, I hate to disagree with you on your first paragraph but that is pure hogwash. The people who know the situation know Sammy said if JL is gone he is also. That's a known fact. If JL was here today Sammy would be our PG. Yes what he did was legal and above board but what St.J is doing will come back and bite them in the b-tt.At least I hope so .

I agree with what you wrote, which makes me confused why you said what you said. Yes, what Sammy did was athletically-motivated, because of the removal of JL. I'm saying this other players' case has academic roots. 'tis all.

[jrish12]

Perhaps there was a change because it was unfair. I'd have to believe zero flexibility for the student would be completely unfair and I'd only go with it if a school would have to stick with a player no matter what for the 4 years.

But for every kid who wants to do it the right way you have at least one that wants to do it just to beat the system: See Jeremiah Masoli. That is why I would like to see it become more strict, but since we have to be so PC in our society now and we live in a sue first ask questions later society that a situation like that wont work.

[ph]

Whatever that team violation last February was about, O'Brien returned to the team after a 3 game suspension-
http://articles.philly.com/2011-02-2...n-conduct-code

Agreed.
But I do wonder,what if this or another issue resulted in an agreed upon xx game suspension in 2011-12 then Todd said, no thanks, I'm transferring. Or would HIPPA leave St Joes legally silent in a Ray Brown type issue?

[Da Coach]

If so, then why would they try to block the transfer by refusing to grant a release?
If they want him gone they should be happy to release him.
The only 2 reasons I can think of are 1) they suspect tampering, in which case they should submit their claim to the NCAA, or 2) the athlete has done something to offend them so badly that this is purely about retribution, in which case it makes the university look really bad.

[tornado]

The people who know the situation know Sammy said if JL is gone he is also. ... .

I think the situation is a bit more complex and involves input from others but we'll leave it at that

[FlyingSpaghettiMonster]

I used to respect Coach Martelli. I thought he was a really good coach at St. Joe's. After reading that article I would never let my kids go play basketball for him. He sounds like a big egotistical "richard". I don't understand why the AD can't overrule him on this one. It does not sound like he has any problem with it at all.

He definitely looks bad here. I have to think that there is more to this story.

SM has nothing to do with this story.

[it's boogie time]

Is St. Joe's burning a scholarship this year over this?

Are there other players on the St. Joe's roster that might qualify for this type of graduate transfer in the next few seasons?

[jrish12]

He isnt even eligible to play on another team since he already has transfered once, Bucknell to St. Joes so there is no point in releasing him from his scholarship since he cant play for UAB anyway.....

[tornado]

he could play this year if released to play under the grad student ruling - because he still has a year of eligibility remaining...

[jrish12]

he could play this year if released to play under the grad student ruling - because he still has a year of eligibility remaining...

Per NCAA:

Finally, a student-athlete who has eligibility remaining and is within the specified five-year period may participate while enrolled in a graduate or professional school at a Division I college or university other than the institution at which he or she completed an undergraduate degree, provided he or she meets the criteria of the one-time transfer exception to the general transfer residence requirement. That exception is as follows:

...

The student-athlete may not have transferred previously from another four-year institution unless he or she transferred previously and received an exception to the transfer residence requirement because his or her institution either discontinued the sport or did not sponsor the sport in which the student-athlete is a participant.

[TheAsianSensation]

The NCAA has already ruled he has eligibility if St Joe's releases him. If St Joe's releases him, he plays right away. They said the lack of release is the only thing preventing him from playing.

[tornado]

that's how I understood it - that St. Joe's release is the only thing that's holding him up

[tornado]

Now there's a bit more info coming out...

but the single main thing is that after St. Joe's declined to sign off on the kid's waiver - the player (O'Brien) appealed to the NCAA
who could have granted the release and overridden the failure to sign off by St. Joe's..
BUT the NCAA instead chose to side with St. Joe's and did NOT override on the kid's waiver request -
so in the end the final decision was by the NCAA not by St. Joe's.

People who are condemning St. Joseph's or their coach Phil Martelli - are obviously doing so without knowing virtually any of the facts,
except the ones (if true- and we have no independent verification on many of his statements) that the player chose to go public with.
St. Joe's has stated plainly that they have more facts that would support their position but that they are under federal regulations
that prohibit them from even mentioning the name of the kid or speaking to any of the circumstances
unless they have his permission to do so and he has NOT granted them permission to release any info.

[TheGuy]

According to ESPN, the panel that he appealed to consisted of 5 members. Since UAB was a school involved, the committee chair from the CUSA excused himself. They never replaced that voter and it ended in a 2-2 tie.

That's the bogus part on the NCAA's side. I would have my lawyer asking for a 2nd appeal with a full committee or threaten legal action against the NCAA for not replacing the CUSA committee member. With the media attention this story has been getting, it wouldn't surprise me if it went through in his favor at 5-0 at this point if a 2nd appeal was granted.