Michigan Basketball: Winter athletes may get extra year of NCAA eligibility
After the NCAA canceled winter and spring sports, athletes will give given another year of eligibility, but what about Michigan basketball players?
With everything that has happened in the last week or so, nothing should come as a surprise. March Madness has been called off, along with the College World Series and the Frozen Four. That call also appeared to end the careers of Michigan basketball players Jon Teske and Zavier Simpson.
Michigan basketball was in Indianapolis for the Big Ten tournament, all set to play Rutgers when the tournament was canceled. Soon after that, the NCAA tournament and the rest of the winter and spring sports were called.
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It was a stunning turn of events, especially for guys like Simpson and Teske, the two guys who have won more games playing for Michigan basketball than any other players. They have played in three consecutive NCAA tournaments, been part of two Big-Ten tournament title teams, a national title game and three Sweet 16’s.
Michigan basketball was surely headed to the NCAA tournament again after posting a 10-10 record during the regular season and notching impressive wins over Gonzaga, Creighton, Michigan State and others.
But with the spread of COVID-19, the health of players took precedence and now the NCAA is doing what it can to make things right.
While there hasn’t been a decision made about athletes in winter sports like Simpson and Teske, the NCAA announced spring athletes will be given an extra year of eligibility due to the outbreak according to Jeff Goodman, who reported it on Twitter.
Here’s what the NCAA said via 247 sports quoting Goodman:
“The NCAA’s Council Coordination Committee has agreed to grant relief for the use of a season of competition for student-athletes who have participated in spring sports,” Jeff Goodman tweeted. “Committee will also discuss issues for winter sport student-athletes.”
Goodman simplified his report in a quick follow up.
“Players in spring sports get another year of eligibility,” he wrote. “NCAA looking into what to do with those who played winter sports.”
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Kudos to the NCAA for doing what it can to help these student-athletes. Hopefully, something will be worked out fr winter athletes too. If so, there are no guarantee guys like Simpson and Teske could return. Scholarship limits and roster sizes would need to be adjusted, but still, it’s nice to think about the dynamic duo in the Maize and Blue one more time.