Kentucky received a commitment from Enes Kanter last year and John Calipari knew he had struck gold. Unfortunately Kanter will likely never play a minute for Kentucky and that hurts both parties involved.
It’s no secret in the college basketball world that Enes Kanter played some professional basketball in Turkey. Most European prospects that come to the United State have played with a club team at some point.
In order to maintain the eligibility to compete in the NCAA, the rules state that the prospect shouldn’t receive payment for anything more than expenses related to traveling, room, board, and etcetera.
It was found that Kanter received a little over $33,000 – an amount that was found to be more than allowed and still maintain the amateur status and eligibility for NCAA basketball. Kanter’s family used a majority of the funds for education expenses in the United States for Enes to attend a couple of different prep schools. The remaining monies are still sitting in an account, untouched.
Enes Kanter has been ruled ineligible by the NCAA twice now because they say that no matter what the situation, Enes just isn’t an amateur athlete anymore. So they will not allow him to play.
Kanter is clearly devastated and the Kentucky staff, administration and Kentucky fans are all frustrated with the situation.
With all that said, this decision shouldn’t come as a shock. Kanter, technically, isn’t an amateur. Even if he pays the money back, he’s still got it in the first place. And I believe that’s the NCAA’s point in this matter.
That’s not what angers people who wanted to see Kanter play for Kentucky. What angers these people is that there have been multiple cases this year, that players in both basketball and football, have received extra benefits which should have deemed them ineligible.
In most of these cases, players were given a slap on the wrist and suspended for a couple of games. They have also been required to pay back any money received and they wipe the slate clean.
Kanter wasn’t given the opportunity to wipe the slate clean. He had no options, period. It’s obvious that each case has its own different details, but the NCAA’s inconsistent policy enforcement has always been in question.
Duke won a national championship with an ineligible player several years ago. The NCAA knows he’s ineligible, yet the Blue Devils have yet to have those victories vacated. Kansas played an ineligible player when they won their last championship. But they are still champions.
Just this year, Ohio State had several players get caught taking extra benefits, yet they were allowed to play in their bowl game against Arkansas. Head Coach Jim Tressell allowed them to play in the game because “they promised they’d return” next season and fulfill their five-game suspension upcoming next year.
So if you’re shocked that Kanter was deemed ineligible, don’t be. Kanter did break the rules, albeit unknowingly. The unknowingly part is the difference between Enes and the other student athletes who were eventually allowed to play. But that’s another story.
Brian Eldridge
kentucky.scout.com
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