Bijan Cortes | 6' 3" - G | OU Transfer | SHOCKER!!

[Shocker82/85]

Let me see if I've got this right. I've had a few posts lately I thought were correct, but weren't.

If a player is ineligible at the school he transfers from, he has to sit a year at the school he transfers to. I'm not certain that's the correct interpretation of the NCAA rule.

On April 16, it was posted that Cortes had committed. Grades for the Spring semester weren't available that early.

From here on out, I'm just speculating.

Mills was confident Cortes would be eligible after taking some summer classes. This leads me to believe that if Cortes had taken those classes at OU, and passed them, he would have been eligible at OU. That didn't change the fact that he was ineligible at the time he transferred, which triggered the one-year sit out. That's why he still needs a waiver for second semester.

If that much is true, and Cortes just blew off his second semester classes, then Mills got totally sandbagged by the situation. By the time Mills could have learned there was a problem, the top PG's in the portal were heavily in the camps of other schools. Mills would have been late on entering their recruitment, and I think I remember a long list of P5 suitors already in the hunt for the PG's Mills was trying to recruit.

Cortes needed to be eligible when he left OU. When WSU asked for a waiver, WSU was asking the NCAA to set aside a rule because “specific, extraordinary circumstances” (NCAA wording there) prevented Cortes from meeting the rule. In my opinion, WSU compliance staff, when they received Cortes spring grades, should have advised Cortes to do his summer school at Oklahoma so that he would have been eligible there when he left. WSU is responsible for certifying eligibility. To show that it really isn’t that complicated, WSU was apparently able to certify Ridgnal’s eligibility in 2 days so he could go to Greece. WSU may have argued that he had no idea that he would be ineligible at Oklahoma or felt unwelcome at OU, but the NCAA didn’t buy that argument. It would actually be a benefit to OU, because of APR, for Cortes to have maintained his academic eligibility. As an example of completing work at a previous school, it has been written that Jaykwon Walton completed 18 credit hours at WSU in order to graduate from WSU and be eligible at Memphis. WSU will still need a waiver after this semester because summer school does not count toward an academic year of residence. Hopefully, WSU received some kind of assurance from the NCAA that if Cortes does what he needs to that he will be given the waiver.

[Stickboy46]

Let me see if I've got this right. I've had a few posts lately I thought were correct, but weren't.

If a player is ineligible at the school he transfers from, he has to sit a year at the school he transfers to. I'm not certain that's the correct interpretation of the NCAA rule.

On April 16, it was posted that Cortes had committed. Grades for the Spring semester weren't available that early.

From here on out, I'm just speculating.

Mills was confident Cortes would be eligible after taking some summer classes. This leads me to believe that if Cortes had taken those classes at OU, and passed them, he would have been eligible at OU. That didn't change the fact that he was ineligible at the time he transferred, which triggered the one-year sit out. That's why he still needs a waiver for second semester.

If that much is true, and Cortes just blew off his second semester classes, then Mills got totally sandbagged by the situation. By the time Mills could have learned there was a problem, the top PG's in the portal were heavily in the camps of other schools. Mills would have been late on entering their recruitment, and I think I remember a long list of P5 suitors already in the hunt for the PG's Mills was trying to recruit.

You are really good at digging up and making up scenarios to defend Mills. All we know are 1. Mills only landed 1 PG. 2. That PG ended up ineligible. That's on Mills. Its ok to say its on him. It's a recruiting miss, its the not the first and wont be the last time it ever happens.

[1972Shocker]

There is no doubt the Shocks roster is thin, especially at point guard. However, even if Bijan was eligible to play this year I am not convinced you can simply assume he would elevate this team all that much this year considering his proclivity to turn the ball over at OU. Might take a bit of time for HPCM to change BC's playing habits that have lead to that situation. If BC does end up playing this year he will join KP, CR, XB, HB and QB in a class that will need to be replaced at the end of next season (assuming all of them return). I guess the silver lining is if he doesn't play this season HCPM will have a full year to work on refining BC's game and BC would drop down to join Ronnie DeGray and Isaac Abidde in the class that has 2 years remaining after this season. That may not be all that bad from a slightly longer perspective than just this season.

[Stickboy46]

There is no doubt the Shocks roster is thin, especially at point guard. However, even if Bijan was eligible to play this year I am not convinced you can simply assume he would elevate this team all that much this year considering his proclivity to turn the ball over at OU. Might take a bit of time for HPCM to change BC's playing habits that have lead to that situation. If BC does end up playing this year he will join KP, CR, XB, HB and QB in a class that will need to be replaced at the end of next season (assuming all of them return). I guess the silver lining is if he doesn't play this season HCPM will have a full year to work on refining BC's game and BC would drop down to join Ronnie DeGray and Isaac Abidde in the class that has 2 years remaining after this season. That may not be all that bad from a slightly longer perspective than just this season.

Agreed, on paper .. hes like a Grade C type landing of a PG .. but getting a C is better than not turning in the test lol.

[1972Shocker]

Stumbled across this regarding academic eligibility:

As a transfer student, certification of your academic eligibility will happen once you are enrolled at your new school and includes an evaluation of your transfer credits. The compliance office at your new school can assist with this.

Bijan committed in mid-April Final grades at OU were due on May 16th. WSU's Summer classes started with Pression Classes from May 22nd - June 2nd, followed by an 8-week session from June 5 - July 28th. I assume that as soon as he was enrolled in those summer classes that the WSU Compliance Office got to work.

Exactly when WSU and HCPM first discovered that Bijan had a major problem is hard to say.

I am wondering if Bijan wasn't happy at OU and knew he was going to enter the portal and then just blew off the spring semester at OU and put himself in such a hole that made it difficult to impossible to recover from over a summer session. It would be interesting to know if Bijan was up front with HCPM about his academic issues. He many not have realized how big of an issue it ws going to be for him. Unfortunately, we will never now the full story.

[Topshock]

Stumbled across this regarding academic eligibility:


I am wondering if Bijan wasn't happy at OU and knew he was going to enter the portal and then just blew off the spring semester at OU and put himself in such a hole that made it difficult to impossible to recover from over a summer session. It would be interesting to know if Bijan was up front with HCPM about his academic issues. He many not have realized how big of an issue it ws going to be for him. Unfortunately, we will never now the full story.

Mike Kennedy said in pregame the other day that "WSU was very disappointed with the cooperation they received from OU concerning Bijan". Not sure what that means.

[Stickboy46]

Mike Kennedy said in pregame the other day that "WSU was very disappointed with the cooperation they received from OU concerning Bijan". Not sure what that means.

Ole Porter Moser holding a grudge?

[Kung Wu]

[Atxshoxfan]

Hey man, you stole my clock.

[atlwsu]

Hey man, you stole my clock.

Is there a KU version?

[Atxshoxfan]

Is there a KU version?

It was stolen the same time this one was, kung probably has it too.

[pogo]

Ole Porter Moser holding a grudge?

Could be payback from when Gene took the ou job and then returned to WSU the same day.

[Shock Top]

When does Fall semester end?

I know they are still hopeful for him to play for the Winter semester.

[pinstripers]

Somebody said December 10.......... but then....if he's done what he should, we have to re-apply, and then wait for a decision.

[Atxshoxfan]

I'm sure the NCAA will do everything in their power to complete their review of the Cortez case by March 31.