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MBBALL Kai Johnson vs NCAA
- Thread starter GrizWin99
- Start date
Looks like the NCAA denied his waiver for another year on March 12. I do technically think that he didn’t have much of a chance of having it granted as his argument for another year was very archaic. I really hate to see guys suing the NCAA when they know they’re out of eligibility. I think it was worth a try on the waiver and as much as I’d love to see Kai come back next year, I just wish these kids would move on. It’s lawsuits like these that are turning college sports on their head.
billingsgriz
Well-known member
Agree, I don't want to see a retirement ceremony for a 39 year old GRIZ football or men's basketball player or a LG player that has spent the last twenty years in Missoula on campus playing for UM !!!
How about for a 59 year old Co-Ed intramural 4th place winner and the ceremony he never received?
I'm just surprised that in denying it they didn't grant 7 more years of eligibility to players at Kentucky.
mthoopsfan
Well-known member
Who's his lawyer/law firm?
goatcreekgriz
Well-known member
Dennis Lind is local counsel. Darrell Cochran out of Seattle area has moved for pro hac admission, along with other members of his firm. Looks like they do a lot of plaintiff’s PI. Cochran J.D. from Michigan.
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The NCAA's incoherent strategy over the past five years put us in this position. They wanted the schools to come up with the policy rather than establish a set of scatter-shot eligibility rules that they had no chance in enforcing.
As such the 5 years rule first only applied to players in NCAA schools, then when NAIA schools adopted a similar rule they were forced to accept transfers from non-NCAA schools. Then it was JC guys who were losing a year, and it was extended to them as well.
Pair that with an absurd waiver policy that isn't equally applied. What defines 'hardship,' and what doesn't. Heck Joe Pridgen who is now in his 93rd year of D1 athletics was granted an extra year. Same with Moody. The NCAA is so far out over its skis now and really should be approving all hardship applications with any merit.
Here is Joe Pridgen's career:
19-20: Holy Cross FR
20-21: UNC-Wil SO (Covid year)
22-23: Northeastern JR
23-24: Northeastern SR
24-25: UM GR
25-26: UM Hardship year
From what I gather, is that Johnson's application for the fifth year of athletic play had to do with that he may not have had a shot at playing his Freshman year. He was forced to redshirt in 2020-21 and felt that he should have gotten the opportunity to use his fifth year in actual athletic play like every one else.
20-21 Covid Redshirt DNP @ WWU
21-22 WWU RS FR
22-23 WWU RS SO
23-24 WWU RS JR
24-25 UM RS SR
Kai isn't asking for the moon. He wanted relief because he should have had an opportunity at a 5th on the floor year. Now it costs him real money and why he can use the court system to some injunctive action to get the NCAA to readdress that absurd application/denial process.
I have no problem with the NCAA granting a full five years. We've been trending that way for a while now. I'd rather it be consistently applied rather than what we have now.
As such the 5 years rule first only applied to players in NCAA schools, then when NAIA schools adopted a similar rule they were forced to accept transfers from non-NCAA schools. Then it was JC guys who were losing a year, and it was extended to them as well.
Pair that with an absurd waiver policy that isn't equally applied. What defines 'hardship,' and what doesn't. Heck Joe Pridgen who is now in his 93rd year of D1 athletics was granted an extra year. Same with Moody. The NCAA is so far out over its skis now and really should be approving all hardship applications with any merit.
Here is Joe Pridgen's career:
19-20: Holy Cross FR
20-21: UNC-Wil SO (Covid year)
22-23: Northeastern JR
23-24: Northeastern SR
24-25: UM GR
25-26: UM Hardship year
From what I gather, is that Johnson's application for the fifth year of athletic play had to do with that he may not have had a shot at playing his Freshman year. He was forced to redshirt in 2020-21 and felt that he should have gotten the opportunity to use his fifth year in actual athletic play like every one else.
20-21 Covid Redshirt DNP @ WWU
21-22 WWU RS FR
22-23 WWU RS SO
23-24 WWU RS JR
24-25 UM RS SR
Kai isn't asking for the moon. He wanted relief because he should have had an opportunity at a 5th on the floor year. Now it costs him real money and why he can use the court system to some injunctive action to get the NCAA to readdress that absurd application/denial process.
I have no problem with the NCAA granting a full five years. We've been trending that way for a while now. I'd rather it be consistently applied rather than what we have now.
mthoopsfan
Well-known member
Thx. Judge is Griz hoops fab.
mthoopsfan
Well-known member
Plus we need him.
The Pavia court decision was about a month plus beginning to end to issue the injunction. NCAA is currently appealing it, but the NCAA recognized that it probably was on the losing side of the JC extra year. Thus they issued the blanket waiver in late December after the court injunction in mid-December.
My guess we aren't going to hear anything until the end of May at the earliest. For all parties involved, I think they would like to see some level of determination sooner than later.
The NCAA didn't respond to the Fourqurean case (very similar to Johnson's lawsuit) in the same way they did the Pavia case once the injunction was granted by the judge. My hunch is that NCAA is banking on that the eligibility rules are nearly uniform from D1 to D3. All players D1-3 can get NIL payments, have the same 5 year clock and what constitutes a start/stop of that clock. The NCAA hasn't granted many redshirt covid year (spring of 20, 20-21) players an extra years unless they can show hardship as to why that redshirt was given. Johnson's lawsuit is probably on shakier ground than the Pavia one from my reading of the tea leaves.
My guess we aren't going to hear anything until the end of May at the earliest. For all parties involved, I think they would like to see some level of determination sooner than later.
The NCAA didn't respond to the Fourqurean case (very similar to Johnson's lawsuit) in the same way they did the Pavia case once the injunction was granted by the judge. My hunch is that NCAA is banking on that the eligibility rules are nearly uniform from D1 to D3. All players D1-3 can get NIL payments, have the same 5 year clock and what constitutes a start/stop of that clock. The NCAA hasn't granted many redshirt covid year (spring of 20, 20-21) players an extra years unless they can show hardship as to why that redshirt was given. Johnson's lawsuit is probably on shakier ground than the Pavia one from my reading of the tea leaves.
captain jazz
Well-known member
Not sure if this has been posted elsewhere but it seems Kai's injunction request was denied.
Full twitter/X thread here:
Full twitter/X thread here:
I’m not surprised. He really didn’t have that great of an argument, but I guess it didn’t hurt to try. While I would have loved to have him back, I do admire that some of these judges are starting to put their foot down with these kids. There’s been at least 2 other cases I can think of where this happened. Good luck to Kai! He was a good player and I wish him the best in whatever’s next.
P.S this probably isn’t good news for Pridgen’s prospects then.
I thought that was granted. I also think it was a different type of waiver.
GriznMN
Well-known member
He needed a better attorney.
Sounds like Kai is off to Spain.
GriznMN
Well-known member
wish him the best of luck and will be following him from the States. I can't quite put my finger on the reason why but I feel like Kai will end up in the NBA, either on a roster or G-league team.
I loved watching Kai. I think you might be underestimating NBA talent (and size). Especially now that international talent is so much better. Kai is not an NBA point guard and he would be undersized for a shooting guard. Since Krysko only one former Griz had any time in the NBA (Will Cherry) and that was very brief. Kai will get a chance to play international but will not ever get even a sniff from NBA teams.
GriznMN
Well-known member
You are most likely right but his confidence and ability to explosively jump and finish at the rim has me thinking (hoping) differently.
