NC State Wolfpack: Beverly Denied Immediate Eligibility
Former Ohio State commit Braxton Beverly denied eligibility by the NCAA for the Wolfpack’s 2017-18 season.
NC State have several new players to work with for the upcoming season. However, Braxton Beverly will not be one of those the Wolfpack will be able to utilize.
After Ohio State fired former head coach Thad Matta, Beverly rescinded his commitment. Shortly after, Kevin Keatts and the Wolfpack scooped him up. The problem, though, was that Beverly attended classes in Columbus before officially transferring.
The NCAA stepped in at that point and ruled that Beverly, despite not playing a single minute in a Buckeyes uniform, would be ineligible for the season ahead. Following the initial ruling, State appealed the decision before the overarching association denied said appeal on Monday.
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With the first announcement that struck down Beverly’s eligibility coming within hours of the NCAA’s conclusion of the infamous UNC investigation, this struck a blow amongst the fans inside the Triangle and beyond. Many wondered, “How can a university get off the hook for (allegedly, yet definitely) giving athletes fake classes to pass, but a player who took actually classes for a school he never suited up for gets punished?” This hypocrisy did not go unnoticed.
NCAA continues to make indefensible decisions. NC State’s Braxton Beverly’s appeal was denied by NCAA. Unconscionable. Wrong. Embarrassing.
— Jay Bilas (@JayBilas) October 30, 2017
Usually when NCAA gets called out on stupid, hypocritical decision, it reverses itself. Not in Braxton Beverly case. On the same day UNC got off scot-free on 18 years of academic fraud (admitted to by school) Beverly denied playing this yr. because he WENT TO CLASS briefly at OSU
— John Feinstein (@FeinsteinBooks_) October 30, 2017
Keatts, his staff, and the players will have to press on without Beverly. Despite the loss, the Wolfpack still has a strong backcourt. Torin Dorn and Markell Johnson return to the roster from last season while Allerik Freeman transfers into the program as a graduate student from Baylor. In addition to those players, Lavar Batts Jr. looks to be a promising addition to the State roster as well.
Next: NC State Wolfpack: Tipping Point Ahead in South Bend
The end result of this debacle is massively disappointing to a well-intentioned student-athlete, and the NCAA should re-evaluate its policies regarding academics. However, the year spent practicing with the team will eventually benefit Beverly, giving him time to learn the system and four years of eligibility following this season.