Transfer guard eligible immediatly at Pitt

[Markedman]

Anybody want to venture a guess as to why? He is transferring because they fired his dad as far as I can tell......why would he be able to play right away?


http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/blog/eye-on-college-basketball/19158853/pittsburgh-newcomer-trey-zeigler-eligible-immediately

[IWB]

My guess is that it was a hardship waiver, based on Unusual circumstances that prevented him from staying at CMU

[Markedman]

Wow that is really a reach. They would have been happy for him to stay there. When you choose to play for you dad you know he could take another job or get fired.

I think they had it right with the sick relative waiver but as in all of these things people just find ways to manipulate the system.

Oh well......lucky break for Pitt.

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Pitt is going to be very good next year. They return a load of talent, have some fantastic guys coming in, including Zeigler and a top-5 center in Adams, and I really think the departure of Khem Birch and (especially) Ashton Gibbs will be addition by subtraction. A healthy Woodall coupled with no Gibbs taking every bad shot in sight should have them competing for the top-4 of the Big East again.

[IWB]

Mark - again, it was just a guess, but I imagine having your old man fired is a very rough deal on a kid.

[warriorfan4life]

Pitt is going to be very good next year. They return a load of talent, have some fantastic guys coming in, including Zeigler and a top-5 center in Adams, and I really think the departure of Khem Birch and (especially) Ashton Gibbs will be addition by subtraction. A healthy Woodall coupled with no Gibbs taking every bad shot in sight should have them competing for the top-4 of the Big East again.

Outside of Adams (a reportedly raw frosh that Dixon may be reluctant to give big minutes ala Birch), who is playing defense on that team? Pitt scored plenty efficiently, especially with a healthy Woodall, but I do not trust that defense until proven otherwise. Would not have Pitt ahead of Ville, Cuse, ND, MU, or Georgetown and think they should hope to be in the second group headed by Cincy and USF.

[Nukem2]

Apparently there is a recent similar situation with a baseball player who became immediately eligible after his father was fired at another school. So, I guess there is a precedent for this. But, how is such a kid really any different than anyone else. Sure, it may be "painful", but different than DJ, Wes and Jerel when TC left. I don't buy into this one.

[IWB]

How is this different than when Crean left? It was the kid's dad, and he was fired.

When I was in high school I was working at a company that my dad worked for. He got fired. I was scheduled for a boatload of hours that week, never stepped foot in that building again.

[Nukem2]

How is this different than when Crean left? It was the kid's dad, and he was fired.

When I was in high school I was working at a company that my dad worked for. He got fired. I was scheduled for a boatload of hours that week, never stepped foot in that building again.I hear ya. Though, I'm sure CMU would gladly have let him stay......

[MUMac]

I hear ya. Though, I'm sure CMU would gladly have let him stay......

The dad or the kid?

I am with IWB on this one. Can't see any downside in allowing the kid to transfer right away. Why would the kid want to stay at CMU when they fired his dad? I would guess that was the only reason he attended CMU in the first place.

[Markedman]

I guess the point is the waiver rule was put in place to allow kids to go home if one of their parents got sick. Now then can do it if the dad gets fired.

Nobody is saying the kid has to stay at CMU but why should he not have to sit a year like everyone else who transfers?

His dad didn't get the job done so they fired him. He knew that could happen when he went there. Why should that be a special circumstance?

[Nukem2]

I guess the point is the waiver rule was put in place to allow kids to go home if one of their parents got sick. Now then can do it if the dad gets fired.

Nobody is saying the kid has to stay at CMU but why should he not have to sit a year like everyone else who transfers?

His dad didn't get the job done so they fired him. He knew that could happen when he went there. Why should that be a special circumstance?Thats what I was alluding to earlier here. When kids sign a NLI, they know the risks of playing time, not being used the "right" way, not liking the school, academics, not liking the coach. In this case, just one more risk; ie; Papa gets fired. Both the kid and the Dad knew that risk. So, he can now transfer. No problem with that. But, why let him play right away at Pitt while guys like Jared Uthoff, Finney-Smith, etc. have to sit out a year. Circumstances really are not truly different. In the end, its just one more example in issues with transfers. Ultimately, all kids are going to be able to transfer and play right away (except maybe for mid-year transfers).

[ge1974]

Personally, I always thought Ziegler was overrated. He's a good talented player yet, kind of a "ball hog", IMO. It'll be interesting to see if Jamie Dixon can make him more of a team player.

As far as being eligible, it does seem like he's getting some favoritism. Yet, I'm not complaining because Trey Lockett is immediatley eleigible for us and I'm happy as can be over that ruling.

[MUMac]

I guess the point is the waiver rule was put in place to allow kids to go home if one of their parents got sick. Now then can do it if the dad gets fired.

Nobody is saying the kid has to stay at CMU but why should he not have to sit a year like everyone else who transfers?

His dad didn't get the job done so they fired him. He knew that could happen when he went there. Why should that be a special circumstance?

Actually, that is an incorrect interpretation. Yes, that is the most frequent reason for the waiver. That is not, though, the purpose for the waiver. The NCAA was not as limiting in their reasoning for the waiver rule. According to the NCAA it is in place for extraordinary circumstances. "The NCAA has established a waiver process and criteria to address unique situations and extenuating circumstances that are not outlined in our rules."

[Alan Bykowski, "brewcity77"]

Personally, I always thought Ziegler was overrated. He's a good talented player yet, kind of a "ball hog", IMO. It'll be interesting to see if Jamie Dixon can make him more of a team player.

As far as being eligible, it does seem like he's getting some favoritism. Yet, I'm not complaining because Trey Lockett is immediatley eleigible for us and I'm happy as can be over that ruling.

So basically Ashton Gibbs 2.0?

[TheSultan]

Actually, that is an incorrect interpretation. Yes, that is the most frequent reason for the waiver. That is not, though, the purpose for the waiver. The NCAA was not as limiting in their reasoning for the waiver rule. According to the NCAA it is in place for extraordinary circumstances. "The NCAA has established a waiver process and criteria to address unique situations and extenuating circumstances that are not outlined in our rules."


Exactly. So I have no problem with how they applied it in this case. I think the whole "sitting out a year" thing is a bit of a crock anyway, so if they can play right away for whatever reason, it doesn't bother me.

[Nukem2]

Exactly. So I have no problem with how they applied it in this case. I think the whole "sitting out a year" thing is a bit of a crock anyway, so if they can play right away for whatever reason, it doesn't bother me.As I noted earlier, I suspect that transferees ultimately will not have to sit out giving a unform rule rather than exceptions. Mid-year transfers would have to wait though until the next season.

[Nukem2]

The real problem with all this is the lack of consistency as Andy Katz points out today.

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/59467/3-point-shot-unlv-to-test-transfer-rule

[unclejohn]

The reason for the sitting out rule is to prevent coaches from raiding other programs. Can you imagine what Calipari would do if he could get players to transfer in and play immediately? As for this case, as Katz points out, having a coach fired and his son transfer elsewhere is not even unusual. It last happened at Marquette for Brian Barone.

[TheSultan]

If I were in charge I would allow one "free" transfer without sitting out a year. If Calipari could get kids to transfer to Kentucky immediately, than those other coaches didn't do a real good job keeping them around in the first place. It wouldn't be the end of the world.

[Pipelayer]

If you were a mid major "free" transfers would suck. You'd almost be hoping that one guy who slipped through the cracks to you didn't blow up too much. Then high majors come recruiting him.

[CaribouJim]

If you were a mid major "free" transfers would suck. You'd almost be hoping that one guy who slipped through the cracks to you didn't blow up too much. Then high majors come recruiting him.

Agreed - it would get really crazy IMO. Makes kids step back and really think things through before transferring knowing they have to sit out a year - roster stability would be a major concern if they didn't have to sit out a year.

I wouldn't be opposed to coaches sitting out year, unpaid, when they bolt a school where they are under contract, but that is a subject for another thread.