Another injunction

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Good morning! The fifth-year eligibility saga continues. Let’s get to the news.

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1. The latest fifth-year eligibility news

It was another busy day for class of 2022 players seeking an additional year of eligibility. Let’s get right into it.

First, the biggest news that came from Wednesday was an injunction granted in Georgia, making 30 players eligible. The full list can be found here, but two of the most notable names were JaMichael Stillwell and RJ Godfrey, who have committed to Texas Tech and Arizona, respectively.

In this specific case in Georgia, the judge also ruled that the named plaintiffs can’t be barred from competing just because they missed the transfer portal window. The order additionally prevents the NCAA from penalizing schools through its "ghost transfer" rule, giving those players added protection while the case moves forward.

It’s also worth noting that this ruling differs from the nationwide injunction issued earlier in Colorado. The Colorado case is a “certified federal class action,” meaning members of the 2022 class who qualify may be covered even if they aren’t named in the lawsuit or never filed their own. The Georgia injunction, however, applies only to the 30 named plaintiffs in that specific case.

We also had a fifth-year commit on Wednesday: former Dayton guard Javon Bennett to Gonzaga. As we know, the Zags lost two guards they thought they’d have for next season — Jack Kayil and Mario Saint-Supery — to the pros.

Bennett brings a much-needed ball handler and experience to the roster. He’s been an everyday starter for the Flyers over the past three seasons and averaged 15.8 points and 2.9 assists last year. For Gonzaga’s point guard spot, this is a start, but it’ll likely be after another backcourt piece.

Another notable tidbit from Wednesday: the Celtics signed former St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell to a two-way contract. He was speculated to possibly return to college with the fifth-year chaos, but this move should take him out of the picture to come back to school.

All in all, the legal battles are showing no signs of slowing down. The NCAA has already appealed several of the rulings and continues to defend its five-for-five transition plan. We’re probably just getting started.

2. Foreign tour notables

We’re in the heart of college basketball’s foreign tour season, and we had four programs in action on Wednesday with three teams wrapping up their trips.

Below is a breakdown of the results.

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