[Rosiak's Blog] Saunders won't play at MU

[larrym]

per Rosiak
http://www.jsonline.com/watch/?watch=2&date=8/23/2007&id=28234

[ToddRosiakSays]

Saunders won't play at MU

Damian Saunders, a 6-foot-8 forward from Waterbury, Conn., won't be admitted to Marquette University, coach Tom Crean said early Thursday evening.
"Unfortunately, Damian won't be able to be accepted at Marquette," said Crean. "His final grades and test scores were not at a level that was deemed appropriate for Marquette University. He's not through the (NCAA) Clearinghouse at this point. But this was more of a Marquette situation because of where he grades were at.
"He's an excellent young man who I think has worked very hard, and I think he's going to have a very strong future in college basketball. Unfortunately it's not going to be with us."
Saunders, who played last season at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., had been on shaky ground with MU since late June after he was arrested in his hometown for possession of a controlled substance.
"It really didn't," Crean said when asked if Saunders' arrest played any role in his not being admitted to MU. "I was unhappy with it, and I was probably even more unhappy because we were blindsided by it.
"I never really felt, after hearing the different facts in the story, that he really did anything that wrong, except choose to be with the wrong people at the wrong place at the wrong time. To my knowledge, it's already been taken care of. This was totally an academic issue."
Saunders was the final member of MUs' four-player recruiting class for 2007-'08, joining Scott Christopherson, Patrick Hazel and Trevor Mbakwe.
Christopherson and Hazel are already on campus, while Mbakwe is still awaiting a final determination from the NCAA Clearinghouse regarding his eligibility.

http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2007/08/23/saunders-won-t-play-at-mu.aspx

[rocky_warrior]

Ok - well at least that question is officially answered.

[NCMUFan]

I hope it means Trevor will be at Marquette for sure.

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

I hope it means Trevor will be at Marquette for sure.

Two different and unrelated situations. Did you read the last lines of the entry?

[ToddRosiakSays]

Saunders won't play at MU

Damian Saunders, a 6-foot-8 forward from Waterbury, Conn., won't be admitted to Marquette University, coach Tom Crean said early Thursday evening.
"Unfortunately, Damian won't be able to be accepted at Marquette," said Crean. "His final grades and test scores were not at a level that was deemed appropriate for Marquette University. He's not through the (NCAA) Clearinghouse at this point. But this was more of a Marquette situation because of where he grades were at.
"He's an excellent young man who I think has worked very hard, and I think he's going to have a very strong future in college basketball. Unfortunately it's not going to be with us."
Saunders, who played last season at Notre Dame Prep in Fitchburg, Mass., had been on shaky ground with MU since late June after he was arrested in his hometown for possession of a controlled substance.
"It really didn't," Crean said when asked if Saunders' arrest played any role in his not being admitted to MU. "I was unhappy with it, and I was probably even more unhappy because we were blindsided by it.
"I never really felt, after hearing the different facts in the story, that he really did anything that wrong, except choose to be with the wrong people at the wrong place at the wrong time. To my knowledge, it's already been taken care of. This was totally an academic issue."
Saunders, who now could very well wind up at Duquesne, was the final member of MUs' four-player recruiting class for 2007-'08, joining Scott Christopherson, Pat Hazel and Trevor Mbakwe.
Christopherson and Hazel are already on campus, while the 6-7 Mbakwe - one of MU's most integral recruits in recent years - is still awaiting a final determination from the NCAA Clearinghouse regarding his eligibility.
"We understand the Clearinghouse is loaded up with athletes still playing fall sports," Crean said. "He's been waiting patiently to get the final answer. From what we've seen there's no reason to think everything's not going to work out fine."
Crean also said that forward Lawrence Blackledge had done enough over the summer to return to MU for his senior season.
"He's continued to make progress academically," Crean said. "He's done what he has to do to be eligible."
Recruiting update: Iman Shumpert, a highly touted 6-4 combination guard from Oak Park High School in suburban Chicago, has an official visit scheduled to MU Oct. 12-13, which just so happens to be the weekend of MU's annual 'Marquette Madness'.
MU also expects to have 6-7 Lance Goulbourne of The Hun School in Princeton, N.J., 6-3 Tyshawn Taylor of St. Anthony's in Jersey City, N.J. and 6-7 Renaldo Woolridge of Harvard Westlake in North Hollywood, Ca. in for official visits sometime over the next two months.

http://blogs.jsonline.com/muhoops/archive/2007/08/23/saunders-won-t-play-at-mu.aspx

[muguru]

Another update from Rosiak's blog:

 

Recruiting update: Iman Shumpert, a highly touted 6-4 combination guard from Oak Park High School in suburban Chicago, has an official visit scheduled to MU Oct. 12-13, which just so happens to be the weekend of MU's annual 'Marquette Madness'.
MU also expects to have 6-7 Lance Goulbourne of The Hun School in Princeton, N.J., 6-3 Tyshawn Taylor of St. Anthony's in Jersey City, N.J. and 6-7 Renaldo Woolridge of Harvard Westlake in North Hollywood, Ca. in for official visits sometime over the next two months.

[4everwarriors]

Crean is probably relieved Saunders conveniently didn't qualify academically. Saves TC from having to exercise tough love.

[muarmy81]

I hope it means Trevor will be at Marquette for sure.

Two different and unrelated situations. Did you read the last lines of the entry?

Well now that the NCAA or MU or whoever deemed that Saunder's grades weren't acceptable maybe they can get to TM's and get that issue put to bed...finally.

Is it Midnight Madness yet?

[dennycrane]

Crean is probably relieved Saunders conveniently didn't qualify academically. Saves TC from having to exercise tough love.

Saunders may be qualified. MU did not admit him. Hmmmmm

[4everwarriors]

Don't believe everything you read, especially what comes out of the athletic dept.

[NCMUFan]

To me, with Marquette so weak with big man, that if Sanders could of qualified by any means, he would be at Marquette.

[mu_hilltopper]

To me, with Marquette so weak with big man, that if Sanders could of qualified by any means, he would be at Marquette.

Hmm.  Anyone know how Wade made it in to Marquette, yet was not academically qualified to play?  Seems like, at that time, MU was willing to accept a guy who the NCAA said couldn't play because of grades. 

I think this conversation would be different if MU hadn't over-committed on scholarships.

[Avenue Commons]

To me, with Marquette so weak with big man, that if Sanders could of qualified by any means, he would be at Marquette.

Hmm.  Anyone know how Wade made it in to Marquette, yet was not academically qualified to play?  Seems like, at that time, MU was willing to accept a guy who the NCAA said couldn't play because of grades. 

I think this conversation would be different if MU hadn't over-committed on scholarships.

I think this conversation would be different if Sanders hadn't gotten hit with a possession charge and was already on shaky ground academically. Keep in mind that Marquette may have told Crean they weren't letting him in because of the possession charge and Crean is keeping the kid's name relatively clean and giving him a chance to go somewhere else by saying it was grades. Who knows. It seems to me that they would check these kids' grades before they offer the schollys. But it happens. I'm pretty sure it's what happened with Randy Moss and Notre Dame.

[mu03eng]

To me, with Marquette so weak with big man, that if Sanders could of qualified by any means, he would be at Marquette.

Hmm.  Anyone know how Wade made it in to Marquette, yet was not academically qualified to play?  Seems like, at that time, MU was willing to accept a guy who the NCAA said couldn't play because of grades. 

I think this conversation would be different if MU hadn't over-committed on scholarships.

Its my understanding that Wade got in on a partial qualifier rule that no longer exists.  I think Crean would have let Saunders come if he could get into to Marquette.  I tend to not read too much into this.

[The Lens]

No one should pin this one on MU or TC.  The dude was on thin ice with grades and he decides to go riding around in a car with a bunch of buddies who want to burn one.  He's two months away from getting a world class education and he can't just say: "I think I might stay home tonight and play Xbox."

Hard to get a coach / school to fight for you on grades, when you're re-enacting Dazed & Confused, cruising around town in Wooderson's Nova.

[77ncaachamps]

I guess the admins are going to have to DELETE Saunders from the 2007-08 MU roster. All that work...

[Norm]

Randy Moss never even completed the application to ND.

[jmayer1]

Randy Moss never even completed the application to ND.

At least somebody knows their college athletics.....jk.  Moss was all but in a uniform before he messed it up with another arrest.

[thekahoona]

To me, with Marquette so weak with big man, that if Sanders could of qualified by any means, he would be at Marquette.

Hmm.  Anyone know how Wade made it in to Marquette, yet was not academically qualified to play?  Seems like, at that time, MU was willing to accept a guy who the NCAA said couldn't play because of grades. 

I think this conversation would be different if MU hadn't over-committed on scholarships.

Its my understanding that Wade got in on a partial qualifier rule that no longer exists.  I think Crean would have let Saunders come if he could get into to Marquette.  I tend to not read too much into this.

also, wade's gpa coming out of high school was fine.  it was his test scores (where he missed by (i think) one point) on more than one occasion that got him special consideration...

wade's situation was completely different.