We kept getting the sense something was up at Virginia. Now it's official - the school announced Friday that Parade All-American freshman Sarah Imovbioh will not be eligible to play for or practice with the Cavaliers in 2011-12.
Read it and weep: "The ruling is a result of a gap in her high school enrollment while living in Nigeria. NCAA bylaw 14.3.1.2.1 requires prospective student-athletes to complete their core-curriculum requirements within four consecutive years of their initial date of high school enrollment."
The good news is Imovbioh is currently enrolled at Virginia, and if she meets school and NCAA academic requirements through 2011-12, she will be eligible to play four years beginning with 2012-13.
Still, in the short term this is clearly a blow to the Cavaliers, as not only was Imovbioh a promising talent but she was also Virginia's only incoming recruit. And from a state perspective, this means that none of the three most highly-touted recruits supposedly bound for Division I programs will actually play for their intended schools. Kaneisha Atwater, another Parade All-American who had signed with Old Dominion, is pregnant and will remain in Florida. And Achiri Ade, a Top 100 player according to ESPN, was not eligible to enroll at James Madison and will instead attend Midland College in Texas.
This is a huge blow for Virginia. But knowing Joanne Boyles, the Cavaliers will endure!
ReplyDeleteSarah, keep studyin' and come back for 2012-13, please.
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