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PEORIA — The NCAA giveth, and it taketh away.
Bradley Braves star Duke Deen will not get an additional year of eligibility, based on clarifying documents released Thursday by the NCAA.
At least, for the moment. It's been a shifting, changing process for months as the NCAA tries to sort through legal challenges to its eligibility rules. Deen will finish out his career at BU when this team begins play next week in the NIT.
"I don't have any eligibility left," Deen confirmed Thursday. "It hurts. It's shocking, I thought I had another year. It (the NCAA clarification) bothered me for the first two hours after it came out today. I'm over it now. I talked to my mom and my dad, and I honestly just want to play this game as long as I can.
"It just speeds up the process of starting the next chapter in my life. That was going to happen anyway."
Deen reached 1,000 points this season in only three years with Bradley, which hadn't been done since 1986. He finished among the top 12 in assists all-time in BU history, and is tied for the all-time program lead in 3-pointers made with the NIT coming up next week.
More: How Bradley's star guard could end up with a another year of college eligibility
But despite being disappointed Thursday, he flashed a sense of humor.
"It's kind of a blessing, this NCAA ruling," Deen said, laughing. "I didn't want to be an old man in college, anyway. I'm going to play my hardest, help the young guys. Then I'll pass the torch in the summer and kick their butts in the open gym.
"I love playing basketball. Always will."
The latest documents were intended to clarify a ruling in late December in which college basketball's governing body extended additional eligibility to players who burned seasons at the junior college level.
Deen spent his first college basketball season at Panola College in 2020-21, where he earned NJCAA All-America honors. He moved up to NCAA Division-I Troy University in 2021-22, then transferred to Bradley, where he has played the last three seasons and established himself as one of the greatest players in the program's history.
The NCAA on Thursday released a list of 10 clarifications, the ninth of which appears to impact Deen. It reads:
The NCAA waiver issued on Dec. 23, 2024 came in the wake of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia winning a preliminary injunction against the NCAA in the U.S. District Court of Middle Tennessee.
Pavia argued that the governing body's redshirt rule involving junior college eligibility violates antitrust law. The ruling from Judge William Campbell allowed Vanderbilt’s star quarterback to return for another season.
Pavia further argued that the failure to be awarded that extra year at the NCAA level could cost him $1 million in NIL earnings next season.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: NCAA clarification: Bradley Braves star Duke Deen appears out of eligibility
Continue reading...
Bradley Braves star Duke Deen will not get an additional year of eligibility, based on clarifying documents released Thursday by the NCAA.
At least, for the moment. It's been a shifting, changing process for months as the NCAA tries to sort through legal challenges to its eligibility rules. Deen will finish out his career at BU when this team begins play next week in the NIT.
"I don't have any eligibility left," Deen confirmed Thursday. "It hurts. It's shocking, I thought I had another year. It (the NCAA clarification) bothered me for the first two hours after it came out today. I'm over it now. I talked to my mom and my dad, and I honestly just want to play this game as long as I can.
"It just speeds up the process of starting the next chapter in my life. That was going to happen anyway."
Deen reached 1,000 points this season in only three years with Bradley, which hadn't been done since 1986. He finished among the top 12 in assists all-time in BU history, and is tied for the all-time program lead in 3-pointers made with the NIT coming up next week.
More: How Bradley's star guard could end up with a another year of college eligibility
But despite being disappointed Thursday, he flashed a sense of humor.
"It's kind of a blessing, this NCAA ruling," Deen said, laughing. "I didn't want to be an old man in college, anyway. I'm going to play my hardest, help the young guys. Then I'll pass the torch in the summer and kick their butts in the open gym.
"I love playing basketball. Always will."
Why Duke Deen cannot play another season
The latest documents were intended to clarify a ruling in late December in which college basketball's governing body extended additional eligibility to players who burned seasons at the junior college level.
Deen spent his first college basketball season at Panola College in 2020-21, where he earned NJCAA All-America honors. He moved up to NCAA Division-I Troy University in 2021-22, then transferred to Bradley, where he has played the last three seasons and established himself as one of the greatest players in the program's history.
The NCAA on Thursday released a list of 10 clarifications, the ninth of which appears to impact Deen. It reads:
Who is Diego Pavia?
The NCAA waiver issued on Dec. 23, 2024 came in the wake of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia winning a preliminary injunction against the NCAA in the U.S. District Court of Middle Tennessee.
Pavia argued that the governing body's redshirt rule involving junior college eligibility violates antitrust law. The ruling from Judge William Campbell allowed Vanderbilt’s star quarterback to return for another season.
Pavia further argued that the failure to be awarded that extra year at the NCAA level could cost him $1 million in NIL earnings next season.
Dave Eminian is the Journal Star sports columnist, and covers Bradley men's basketball, the Rivermen and Chiefs. He writes the Cleve In The Eve sports column for pjstar.com. He can be reached at 686-3206 or [email protected]. Follow him on X.com @icetimecleve.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: NCAA clarification: Bradley Braves star Duke Deen appears out of eligibility
Continue reading...
