Roburt Sallie Denied Entrance

Thursday, May 22 was a dark day for Husker hoop fans.  This was the day the Big 12 conference denied entrance to the highly touted basketball recruit, Roburt Sallie.  Although the day will be remembered, the saga started in the fall of 2006.

Roburt Sallie committed to Washington out of high school but failed to meet academic requirements.  He enrolled at prep school and after a year, committed to NU to play in 2006/07.  The NCAA denied  him entrance after Sallie could not produce any homework from his year at prep school.  Sallie had provided test scores and transcripts, but after 3 appeals he was still denied.  Here is what cost NU a shot at possibly the best player they have ever signed.  Sallie, while waiting for the appeal from the NCAA in 2006, enrolled ( or someone else did on his behalf ) in NU, paying his own way.  This was in violation of Big 12 conference rule 6.2 which reads in part  ”any student-athlete who enrolls at a conference institution, part time or full time, must meet NCAA initial eligibility requirements”.  Since the NCAA hadn’t cleared Sallie, he was in violation of this rule.  Nebraska asked for a waiver from the Big 12 Board, comprised of faculty athletic representatives.  A University would have to show extraordinary circumstances in order to receive a waiver, and the conference didn’t feel it was justified.

[Courtesy of Lincoln Journal Star]

I am just appaled that the Big 12 conference wouldn’t consider this an ”extraordinary circumstance” since Sallie was getting the runaround from the NCAA in 2006.  I am writing a strongly worded response to the Big 12 and if you would like to do that,  you can click here.  What on EARTH was the Big 12 thinking?  Roburt Sallie would’ve run through a brick wall to come to NU and they deny him because of 3 DAYS?  This man has gotten the run around since 2006 and this panel had the opportunity to right the wrong and for whatever reason, they chose not to.  Do they want this player in some other conference?  Roburt Sallie is the the type of player the Big 12 needs.  In every interview he ever did about NU, it wasn’t about “I” or “ME” but it was about NU as a school, a team, a family.  What is with the Big 12?  NU made the Big 12 from 1996-2001, but as of late, the conference has been a HEAVY south conference favorite.  What if Texas needed this waiver?  NU gets no respect from the Big 12 in my opinion.  I say we leave this conference and go somewhere else.  They can change the name of the conference to THE OTHER 11.  WHO’S WITH ME?

[Sports Nightly Audio w/ Doc Sadler Press Conference courtesy of Huskers.com]