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Wait Ends with Familiar Close

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The wait was long, but the message brief on Monday night: “Providence College is announcing today that freshmen Brandon Austin (Philadelphia, PA) and Rodney Bullock (Hampton, VA) will not compete in games for the College’s Men’s Basketball Team for the remainder of the 2013-2014 season. The two student-athletes will be able to practice with the team.”

And with that, Providence fans got their answer: the two freshmen, who were initially suspended on Nov. 6 for “not upholding their responsibilities as student-athletes,” will not play this season.

According to Kevin McNamara of The Providence Journal, the college “would not provide details of the transgression” and “neither the Rhode Island State Police nor the Providence police say that they were asked to investigate any complaints against Austin or Bullock since they arrived on campus in August.”

The big question was answered, but so many remain.

Do Austin and Bullock stay at Providence, or decide to transfer?

How does Ed Cooley feel about this result? His comments to McNamara were a cryptic “I can’t answer that, but I am disappointed for the kids” when asked if he was disappointed with the resolution.

What sort of transgression is troubling enough to keep them from game action, but on campus, in practices, and on November’s trip to the Virgin Islands?

The fact of the matter is that for all of Cooley’s success in landing players, his teams have been crippled by eligibility issues, injury and now players “not upholding their responsibilities as student-athletes.”

Since 2011, Cooley has brought in seven recruits, and four either never or haven’t played for PC, while Kris Dunn has seen a majority of his first two seasons wiped away with shoulder surgeries.

2011’s haul included California point guard Kiwi Gardner who was deemed academically ineligible just before the season started in late-October. This ruling coincided with an indefinite suspension of then-sophomore forward Kadeem Batts. Providence appealed Gardner’s ruling, waited for two months to hear a resolution, and then learned he was out for the year in December. Gardner was gone from the school in July.

Of course, last season was oftentimes overshadowed by the eligibility of one-and-done freshman Ricky Ledo. Ledo was deemed a partial-qualifier last September, lost an appeal weeks later and announced he was going pro in April.

Both Ledo and Gardner are playing professionally in the NBA’s Developmental League.

Austin and Bullock are the latest to sit, appeal, and never suit up. It’s a cycle that’s become all too familiar in Friartown.

Now the challenge comes for Cooley. With the help of just two of the seven high school recruits he brought in (LaDontae Henton and Josh Fortune), the Friars will look to close out their non-conference schedule 11-2 with a road win against Massachusetts on Saturday.

It’s another gut kick for Friar fans, but there’s no NCAA Clearinghouse to be upset with this time, as was the case with Gardner and Ledo. There are too many unanswered questions — questions that will most likely never be answered publicly.

This is the third season in three years that PC fans spent the first semester wondering what their team would look like come January. Once again, it will be competitive, but not near the group that looked so promising in September.

All too familiar.

 

 

 

 

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