Extra year of eligibility? Maybe not

Good morning! Count me among those who think it’s remarkable that Cooper Flagg will play in Dallas next season. It’s not often one can trade a generational talent and get a generational talent back in the draft months later.

Let's get to Monday’s college hoops news.

1. Did Ante Brzovic ruling end extended eligibility?

Ante Brzovic spent the last three years starring at the College of Charleston, which followed twos season at D-II Southeastern Oklahoma State.

That’s five years of college hoops, which normally means a player must move on to the professional ranks. But recent court decisions — most notably with college football player Diego Pavia — opened the door for an extended amount of time at the D-I level. A court ruled that Pavia’s time in junior college should not count toward D-I. That meant a blanket waiver was applied to all former JUCO players.

However, it seems the court does not agree that the waiver should apply to ALL non-D-I levels.

Brzovic, through his lawyers Mark Peper and Darren Heitner, argued that he should have additional eligibility because he wasn’t able to profit off his name, image and likeness rights. On Monday, a judge denied Brzovic’s request for a preliminary injunction to be eligible.

“Very high burden when you’re trying to win a two year case and you’re trying go win it in three weeks. It’s a much higher burden than one would think,” Peper said Monday. “And at the end of the day this judge, like a few around the country decided eligibility rules are not commercial in nature in other words they don’t affect the marketplace.”

Still, Heitner posted on X.com that there likely would not be a uniform binding precedent for extended eligibility, and more could be decided by appellate courts, or even the Supreme Court.

And when you have nearly 140 players hoping to snag an extra season, that’s no small thing. As The Athletic noted in a recent article, there’s momentum for the NCAA to permanently give athletes five years of eligibility. That wouldn’t necessarily clear the way for loads of sixth-year seniors next season, but it could be seen as a compromise if more guys like Chad Baker-Mazara (who turns 26 in January) are still playing.

Fewer one-off decisions, more uniformly applied rules. Sounds like five years will be here soon enough.

2. Ranking transfer class + Monday’s transfer moves

Few players will have a more difficult stay-or-go decision next month than Yaxel Lendeborg.

The multi-faceted forward had a big day on Monday after his official measurements — 6-8½ without shoes, 7-4 wingspan, 9-foot standing reach — came through and cemented him as not just an undersized skilled big, but a skilled big with size. He’s projected as a late first-round pick, and has until June 15 to remove his name from the draft.

It’s not inconceivable that he plays another season of college hoops, either. A late first-round pick would make about $3 million in guaranteed money. Michigan could devote roughly 30% of its reported $10 million+ NIL budget to keep him in Ann Arbor.

Because if he does return to school, it’s looking like the Wolverines would have the best transfer class in the nation.

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