University of Wisconsin-Madison
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Thursday, November 14, 2019
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Potter case shows true motives of NCAA By Bremen Keasey SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: an NCAA decision is hurting a student athlete. I could be talking about Chase Young’s suspension because he accepted a loan from a family friend to help his girlfriend travel to the Rose Bowl. Or the current weird eligibility battle for star Memphis freshman James Wiseman for accepting a gift from current head coach Penny Hardaway. Those cases technically follow the NCAA’s stated goal of protecting the amateurism of college athletics, even if I believe it’s a terrible misguided mission that has allowed the NCAA and universities to make billions of dollars based on what you could consider unpaid labor. I don’t like their rulings, but until the NCAA actually changes their rules, it’s the unfortunate situation athletes are shoved into. Instead, I’m talking Micah about Wisconsin forward Micah Potter, who despite sitting out a full season after he announced his transfer to UW for the Spring 2018, is still ineligible to play for the Badgers. And, not because of any alleged payments. Instead, he took the “student” part of the NCAA’s favorite exploitative phrase “student-athlete” very seriously, and he is not able to play. On Monday, UW officials were granted a “teleconference” with the NCAA’s Legislative Relief Committee. It was a chance for Potter, his lawyer, Wisconsin head coach Greg Gard and other UW officials to beg to the seven-man committee to let him play. It’s as if the NCAA is letting him have his one phone call from their police department.
especially since Gard said there hasn’t been a timeline on the decision from the NCAA. “Not many things make me raise my blood pressure. This is one that does,” Greg Gard said. In the NCAA’s Guide for Four-Year Transfers, it says on the top of its first full page “student-athlete success on the field, in the classroom and in life is at the heart of the NCAA’s mission.” Potter has already shown success in the classroom at both Ohio State and UW-Madison, but right now he’s not being allowed to be on the court. And unfortunately for Potter, the clock is ticking on his NCAA eligibility. As a Division-I athlete, the NCAA rules say an athlete has five calendar years to play four seasons, and Greg Gard — who is probably as frustrated at answerWILL CIOCI/THE DAILY CARDINAL ing questions about Potter is being forced to sit by the NCAA for a semester, after having already sat out a year at Ohio State. Potter’s status as he is about him being ineliAnd it’s a mess the NCAA cre- student-athlete,” Potter said in a And frustratingly enough for gible — thinks that the NCAA is ated all by themselves, and it’s statement after his waiver request Potter, many exceptions have been in the wrong with their refusal directly hurting Potter, who by was denied. “The penalty of a third made by the NCAA for this season of a transfer waiver. all accounts has done everything semester to what I have already sat for players who had played many “I don’t feel it’s right to have the NCAA could want from their out seems unjust.” games last season. [Potter] continue to wait when he has prized “student-athletes.” The That idea of unjustness was When the Badgers faced off such a small window to play. They only statistics that Potter has been echoed by Greg Gard, who said it against the Saint Mary’s Gaels in have eight semesters to compete, he’s able to put up since the 2018-2019 feels “unfair” to Micah to be forced to their season opener, the Gaels start- already sat out a year, if he gets one men’s basketball season is GPA: sit out an extra semester. ed guard Logan Johnson, a trans- taken away, he loses one-eighth of his and his is really good — a 3.5 GPA Technically, the NCAA is mak- fer from Cincinnati who played 32 whole career,” Gard said. during his time at Ohio State and a ing the right decision based on games for the Bearcats last year. He The NCAA does not have the 3.3 GPA in the spring and summer their bylaws. Under 14.5.5.1, a was granted an NCAA exception to best of reputations, to put it lightly. at Wisconsin. student will not be eligible until allow him to be eligible. That’s also not likely to change anySo despite acclimating well to the student “fulfilled a residence Meanwhile, Potter needed a “one- time soon. academic life at his new university, requirement of one full academic time NCAA travel waiver” to join his But letting Micah Potter play after Potter was still denied after appeal. year (two full semesters).” But teammates in Sioux Falls. And he did he’s sat out for a season would at least What does he think about it? considering that Potter already not play a minute last season. help one student athlete. “I don’t understand why I sat a whole season last year, it If that seems infuriating, imagAnd if you are truly “dedicated to am being punished additionally seems like a time when an excep- ine how steamed Micah Potter and the well-being and lifelong success of for doing what is encouraged of a tion could be made. his teammates and coaches are, college athletes,” then act like it.
Badgers defeat Wofford, start season undefeated By Jake Goldsmith STAFF WRITER
The Wisconsin Badgers (2-0) looked to continue their hot start after a dominant exhibition game over Whitewater, and a hard-fought 13 point victory over North Florida in their first league game of the season. The Wofford Terriers (0-2) came in to the Kohl Center following a high scoring, tough defeat against Auburn. They fought hard in the first half of the game, but the biggest lead of the first quarter was held by the Badgers at seven points within three minutes of the game.
Although Wisconsin held the lead all first quarter, the two teams seemed to exchange buckets for the remaining time, resulting in a two point Badger lead going into the second. Following a strong offensive showing from both teams in the first quarter, the tone of the game switched to a more defensive one that seemed to benefit the Terriers in the second quarter and going forward. During the second quarter there were multiple stretches of play where neither team could get a point before, a crucial three pointer by Wofford’s senior scoring leader Chloe
Warnik lead to a nine to three run for Wofford, which swayed the momentum and scoreboard to the Terriers going into halftime, with Wofford up two. The Badgers came out with a strong response in the third quarter however. With a few strong defensive possessions and forced turnovers, they only allowed four points for the first seven minutes of the second half. Senior guard Suzzane Gilreath hit a pair of big threes, and combined with senior forward Abby Laszewski for 10 straight points to boost the Badger’s lead to a commanding 12 points going into the final quarter, nearly guarenteeing a win. Freshman guard Sydney Hillard continued the Badger’s dominance off the bench, with eight points in two minutes to
start the fourth. Now with a 20 point lead for the Badgers, the Terriers called a timeout to stop the bleeding, but were never able to complete a comeback, with the final score being 78-65. Senior Suzzane Gilreath again showed her ability to score multiple ways on the floor going 5-10 from the three point line and making her two other field goals, while Sydney Hillard continues to show that she can have a strong impact off the bench as a freshman, with 14 points in 18 minutes and an additional five rebounds. Now with two 13 point wins in the bag, the Badgers will hope to build on this start when they go to Colorado to face the Buffaloes on Nov. 14th, before a nice three game home stretch in late November.
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The women’s basketball team is 2-0.
“…the great state University of Wisconsin should ever encourage that continual and fearless sifting and winnowing by which alone the truth can be found.”