Is NCAA losing perspective?

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Is NCAA losing perspective?
SPORTING CHANCE By Joaquin Henson (The Philippine Star) Updated July 22, 2010 12:00 AM

Is there more than meets the eye in the way that the NCAA Management Committee swooped down on two University of Perpetual Help senior varsity basketball players and declared them ineligible this season?

Turning a blind eye to what appear to be logical arguments by Perpetual Help internal director for athletics Moises Lozada, the ManCom ruled that 6-3 1/2 Marlon Gomez lacks residency to play this schoolyear and 6-4 Paul Nuilan is guilty of misrepresentation, opening the door for a permanent ban.

The ManCom’s decision has wreaked havoc on Perpetual’s basketball program. Without two frontline starters, the Altas has gotten off to a woeful 0-4 start. Last July 16, Perpetual lost a 78-62 decision to Jose Rizal University for its fourth straight setback. Yesterday, the Altas faced Arellano in a bid to end the winless streak.

More than the blow on Perpetual’s title hopes, the decision has cast serious doubts on the integrity of Gomez and Nuilan, jeopardizing their dreams of someday making basketball a career. You wonder if the ManCom is even aware of the damage it has done to the lives of these two young men.

The ManCom decision was handed down two days before the start of the NCAA season so you can imagine how it affected the morale of coach Boris Aldeguer and the Altas.



In the preseason, Perpetual looked like a legitimate championship contender after victimizing Letran, National University, La Salle and Emilio Aguinaldo, among others. In the Father Martin Cup, Perpetual advanced to the semifinals and bowed to powerhouse Ateneo on a desperation triple by Kirk Long at the buzzer. That’s how formidable Aldeguer transformed his rag-tag squad with Gomez and Nuilan at the forefront.

Perhaps, Perpetual’s strong preseason showing alarmed some segments of the NCAA community and brought about a witch-hunt that “uncovered” certain “illusory” findings leading to a hatchet job.

* * * *

Gomez was originally a student from Philippine Christian University (PCU). When PCU disbanded its basketball team, Gomez and the other varsity players tried to hook up with other schools. Gomez was recruited by then Jose Rizal coach Ariel Vanguardia and signed a conditional waiver that he would be considered an enrolee only upon submission of his transfer papers from PCU.

After a few Jose Rizal practices in the summer of 2009, Gomez advised Vanguardia that he would instead enrol at Perpetual. Vanguardia later confirmed that Gomez was never enrolled at Jose Rizal and never attended classes.

Meanwhile, Gomez joined some PCU teammates at Perpetual and was enrolled in July last year. A certified Perpetual transcript of records shows that he attended classes in the College of International Hospitality Management in the first and second semesters of 2009-10.

The ManCom initially voted to allow Gomez eligibility but reversed the decision when Jose Rizal officials submitted documents showing Gomez attended classes and even got a passing grade in elementary accounting, contrary to Vanguardia’s testimony. On the basis of the Jose Rizal papers, the ManCom decided to order another year of residency for Gomez at Perpetual before he is declared eligible.

* * * *

In Nuilan’s case, the ManCom imputed deceit. He was enrolled at FEU, playing for Team B until 2007-08. Nuilan moved to Letran in 2008-09 but never submitted his transfer papers which FEU didn’t release until May 2009. By the time Nuilan got his papers from FEU, he was long gone from Letran. It had been five months since he last attended classes at Letran when FEU released his papers. As Nuilan was being recruited by Perpetual, he submitted his FEU papers to formalize his transfer.

Nuilan has been accused of misrepresentation since he, in fact, had attended classes at Letran after FEU and before moving to Perpetual. But it is also a fact that because he didn’t get his FEU papers until May 2009, he was never officially recognized as having been enrolled at Letran despite attending classes – an anomaly that appears to be an institutional error or a deliberate oversight.

Gomez and Nuilan may have assumed certain things in processing their enrolment papers at Perpetual. Perhaps, in their eagerness to play in the NCAA, they short-cutted what is standard procedure. But I don’t think there was malicious intent to misrepresent or deceive anyone. It is on record, after all, that Gomez practiced with Jose Rizal and Nuilan attended classes at Letran.

To even consider banning Nuilan for life smacks of a heartless attitude towards young men aspiring to make something out of their lives through a sports career. Shouldn’t these young men be given the benefit of the doubt?

It would be unfair to accuse the ManCom of discriminating against Perpetual in an attempt to derail the Altas’ basketball program. But from all indications, it seems that there is a concerted effort to disenfranchise Gomez and Nuilan of their right to represent their school as basketball players in the NCAA.

Gomez and Nuilan aren’t being accused of game-fixing. They’re not being accused of selling games. They may have been misguided or ill-advised and for that, they should be redirected, not chastised. Let it not be said that the NCAA ManCom has lost its perspective of giving young men the rightful opportunity to represent their schools to the best of their athletic ability with honor and pride.

[gfy]

Some terms have to be clearly defined, not only in the NCAA but also in the UAAP. If transfer papers/docs were not officially submitted, even if the player was allowed to attend classes, is he/she considered officially enrolled? Re residency, does one count the number of years when the player left the previous school or when he officially was enrolled in the next school? Some players don't immediately enroll and take a year or two off before enrolling again.

[danny]

Perpetual's problem?

They don't have the informal yet hardcore machinery that we Bedans have to "harass" the stupid Mancom into submission. Remember Jake? Remember Aljamal?

Joke. Joke.

Huwag naman "losing perspective". Ang lalim.

Inutil lang talaga yang ManCom na yan. The Red Cubs losing because of a missing patch ala Sam Ekwe with his uniform. That's pathetic. That's losing sanity over a puny rule. It's ok. We understand. E ano pa nga ba ang gagawin mo sa kapwa kundi intindihin na lang ang katayuan ng pag-iisip. :D


Joke. Joke.

[Sam Miguel]

Some terms have to be clearly defined, not only in the NCAA but also in the UAAP. If transfer papers/docs were not officially submitted, even if the player was allowed to attend classes, is he/she considered officially enrolled? Re residency, does one count the number of years when the player left the previous school or when he officially was enrolled in the next school? Some players don't immediately enroll and take a year or two off before enrolling again.

To my knowledge, "enrollment" in any school is official and complete if and only if a student has submitted all the documents and other requirements necessary or required for such enrollment, i.e. a transfer student needs to submit his transcript of records and sometimes even a certificate of good moral character in order to enrol. Even if a student had attended and even completed an entire term's worth of classes, if he is not yet officially enrolled, if he has not completed submitting all his credentials and documents required for enrollment, then technically it was as if he never attended any of those classes.

Going into specifics for the case of the two players in question, some questions need specific, definite and categorical answers.

For Gomez: Was he officially enrolled in JRU during the time in question? It is one thing to attend classes, quite another to be officially enrolled. As I said, even if a student attended classes, if he were not officially enrolled, then it is as if he never attended any of those classes. In more specific terms, he had no right to be in those classes in the first place, he may as well have been a semester-long sit-in. If that Accounting professor gave him a grade, allowed him to recite and take tests, and exams, that is the professor’s negligence.

For Nuilan, a little more complex but essentially the same issue: Was he officially enrolled in Letran as a transfer student coming from FEU during the time in question? Again, even if he had attended classes and even gotten grades, if he was never officially enrolled in Letran then for all intents and purposes, the time he spent in Letran may as well have been him just hanging out inside several classrooms.

Ultimately proof of enrollment comes down to documentation. If Gomez and Nuilan had in fact perfected their enrollment, i.e. submitted all credentials and documents, paid tuition (or tuition officially waived thanks presumably to their varsity scholarships), issued the official registration form and class cards, at JRU and Letran respectively, then they do indeed have to serve out their residencies as mandated by league rules. If not however, if no such documentation can be shown, then the NCAA Man Com has just f---ed over two guys who just want to play ball.

More to the point, why the hell Perpetual, a member in presumably good standing, is allowing the league itself to f--- them over like this probably speaks more to the fear of Perpetual of incurring the wrath of the league and being suspended or banned. Say what you will but the NCAA is still a nationally-covered, big-name brand. True, it is a far far cry from what it used to be, but it’s still at the very least the second best varsity tournament in the country. Perpetual probably thought they might as well not miss out on this, and to hell with Gomez and Nuilan.

[lekiboy]

Ultimately proof of enrollment comes down to documentation.

For me, this says it all.

[Sam Miguel]

I am not a Boris Aldeguer fan, but even the timing of all this really sucks. Handing down this decision two days before opening day is just plain malevolence.

However, I would not go so far as Quinito has in saying this is a "blow on Perpetual's title hopes". "Perpetual's title hopes", Quinito? Really?

Even with Gomez and Nuilan on board I seriously doubt Perpetual would have gotten past JRU, never mind San Beda and San Sebastian.

[Gym_Rat]

Has Perpetual elevated these cases to the NCAA Policy Board? They may find more reasonable people there who may listen to them. And these people have overturned spurious ManCom decisions before.

If Perpetual has not, they have done a disservice to theselves because they have not exhausted all avenues, including legal ones, to seek redress.

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Has Perpetual elevated these cases to the NCAA Policy Board? They may find more reasonable people there who may listen to them. And these people have overturned spurious ManCom decisions before.

If Perpetual has not, they have done a disservice to theselves because they have not exhausted all avenues, including legal ones, to seek redress.

How could they when Perpetual Mancom rep Mr. Mike Del Mundo is out to sabotaging his own team. He has done it in the past under Coach Bai's years and he is at it again. In fact it was he who made up this issues out of nothing and elevated it up to Mancom. He crucified the 2 players and ruin their dreams of playing ball at the same time destroy the reputation of the school he works for.

[MonL]

^That's a serious accusation which has yet to be proven.

Be as it may, no one is above the institution which designated him as their representative.

What has the institution done so far to remedy the situation?

[nicksy]

Has Perpetual elevated these cases to the NCAA Policy Board?

pls refer to

http://www.inboundpass.com/2010/07/0...l-help-cagers/