Show P J Jj r s t Tournament ban hits basketball team hard Gerald Narciso The Globe C The look on Allen MacFarland's face said it all Almost a week after hearing the news that his team was ruled ineligible for post postseason postseason season seas season n play this year the mens men's bas- bas was still visibly upset It really affected me because I come here to go far into the tournament and to find out we weren't going to play in the tournament really hurt said MacFarland We did so much to get to this point With a 4 14 record so far this season the Bruins appeared to be a team that may have made some noise in the Region 18 T Tournament u ament come March But a questionable question question- able recruiting vi violation lation that occurred three seasons ago changed all that In the summer of 2002 Jack Marlow a 6 foot 10 player from Oklahoma State University basketball team transferred transferred transferred trans trans- to The previous season Marlow was unable to play for his sophomore sophomore sophomore more year at because of an injury It was thought that the season was considered a medical year and that it wouldn't count against Marlow's eligibility Unfortunately failed to submit the paper work resulting in his sophomore season season season sea sea- son counting against his eligibility and causi causing g him to be ineligible to play at violation of unknowingly possessing possessing possessing pos pos- an ineligible player came with a stiff penalty The National Junior College Athletic Association ruled that the Bruins forfeit all of the games that he played with the Bruins But the penalty that really hurt the Bruins was the stripping stripping stripping strip strip- ping them of playing in all season post-season tournaments Marlow's post school Fresno State University was fined Basketball Cont on Page 8 Basketball Cont Cant from front by the for the same violation To the athletic department and administration this was a major blow to a program known for its honesty and integrity Its personally embarrassing to the athletic department said Athletic Director Norma Carr We honestly thought we had the right information It was nothing intentional The College had appealed the decision but was ultimately overruled on Wednesday Jan 18 Coach Parrish had the tough duty of informing his players of the ruling It was hard I had just found out right before practice and it was hard to look at some of them sai said head basketball basketball basketball bas bas- coach Norm Parrish Its the worst pill I have swallowed swallowed swallowed lowed in my life because they're good kids and they deserve better Sophomore players like MacFarland are hit the hardest The tournament is the biggest sh showcase w ase for junior college players to display their abilities to top notch Division I pro pro- grams If the Bruins were to continue their winning ways and if they were successful in inthe inthe inthe the tournament the of players to get more recruiting recruiting recruiting recruit recruit- ing attention would have been much higher I was in total shock particularly particularly particularly for the sophomores Carr Can told the Salt Lake Tribune Every time I looked at them I just wanted to cry While their tournament dreams may have been crushed their spirits are far from it In a practice last week the bruins were competing with so much intensity that it seemed they were were preparing for the Final J. J Four Even Evert when the the lights lights' went out the Bruins kept running running running run run- ning their scrimmage Such a scene could be best summarized by what Carr Can said about th the whole incident penalizing the wrong people |