Jay Bilas Reacts To Enes Kanter Ruling
Jay Bilas – never to be one late to a party – posted his reaction to the Enes Kanter ruling earlier today. Bilas is known to fans for his level headedness and rational thinking despite having graduated from Duke and being employed by the obviously UK hating world wide leader ESPN. While Jay see’s how the ruling falls into line with the NCAA’s policies, he Bilas looks at how the NCAA rules themselves are contrary to their mission statement – helping put the student in student athlete.
The article is an ESPN insider, so I’ll just quote it in pieces.
The NCAA’s mission is one of education and this ruling is contrary to that mission. It is accepted that Kanter could have stayed in his home country of Turkey and made hundreds of thousands of dollars as a professional. Instead, Kanter chose to come to the United States to attend college…
Who is served by disallowing Kanter to play? Are we so concerned that European pros will turn down millions to come to college and pursue an education that we need to exclude them? How is the cause of education furthered by excluding a qualified student who has traveled to this country to go to college and play, while turning down the opportunity to earn hundreds of thousands of dollars?…
Money does not corrupt education or the educational mission. This ruling is based upon a principle that ignores the reality that other countries have different systems than ours. And it hurts the very person the NCAA’s mission should protect and value — the willing student-athlete.
Bilas also goes into the ambiguity of letting minor league baseball players suit up for basketball teams as amateurs – including Trajan Langdon from his alma mater. Well put Jay – and overall a point that is often overlooked when discussing the Kanter case. Who does Kanter being given an opportunity to play really hurt? Other than other basketball programs? So long as your motive isn’t to ensure someone other than Kentucky wins the NCAA Tournament, but instead to give athletes a chance to be students – why not give the kid an option to play?
44 Comments for Jay Bilas Reacts To Enes Kanter Ruling
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Great statement by Bilas and the truth! The NCAA has paid no attention to him or Dick Vitale!
Fan the dying flame. Woo hooo.
You tell’em Jay. Damn the NCAA.
Jay Bilas is a “super fan”! We need to send him BTI’s post about moving past all of this!
Can we move on? Even a woman scorned is about out of hate gas after 2 weeks!
I used to hate Bilas just because he was a dookie and seemed like all the other talking heads. But lately he seems like the one who makes the most sense out of all the college basketball analysts. He’s starting to win me over.
For old time’s sake:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/huskies/2010340248_umen24.html
He can’t play “YOU SELFISH MOTHERF_ _ KERS!!!” let it die!!!!
I think we could beat Will Hill in dual leg wrestling match if I got a perm first.
Of course any overseas pro would love to come over and get a free education in the US and also be able to play ball on a big stage that will showcase them more for the NBA, and this is why Kanter was made an example. Don’t fool yourself into thinking Enes was going to be here at UK long enough to get an education. UK was just a place to further showcase his skills and push his NBA stock up even further. Plus it even reiterates the NCAA ruling bc as soon as the appeal was denied, Enes revamped his statement at staying in school and has opted to enter the draft. If he was honestly here for an education, then why didn’t he stay at UK and do so?
Jay could teach Matt a thing or two about hairstyles, even though he doesn’t have that great salad anymore.
Somebody get Bilas in here to do the “Y”
I prefer a flan
12) You think the NCAA hasn’t benefited from the 1 and done rule? The NCAA would benefit from being used to get to the NBA not the suffer.
If not then more one and doner’s would go to the D-League or take the Brandon Jennings route.
Why hasn’t anyone brought up that nobody knew what were allowable expenses were until each expense was allowed or disallowed by the NCAA arcane rules? Especially since the kid was not in this country and his father was trying to keep him amateur. The NCAA compliance members need to enroll in ethics classes, perhaps they will come to rational conclusions. The whole concept of intent is lost on these people. That an unfortunate injustice has been done does not mean that we should remain mute. Thanks Jay for the analysis on hypocrisy central.
I am not the real Jay Bilas, but just so everyone knows the fake real Jay Bilas agrees with the real Jay Bilas. Don’t question the reality of this non lie because it is the truth.
BTI says get over it!
#12- As I remember, Kanter was considered one of the top drafts picks BEFORE he entered UK.
#12, the NCAA left Kanter little choice but to leave early. If Kanter would have been declared eligable, he could have displayed his considerable basketball skills while getting his education (a win, win). But now he doesn’t have that option. He can either continue to get his college education now while watching his stock as an NBA propect nose dive because he isn’t allowed to compete and get better as a player. Or he could take advantage of his sharp skills as a player now and enter the draft and get paid millions. Once his playing days are over then he should return to college and complete his education. Its an easy choice.
nice try though….
I’d just like to see Emmert come on CBS and explain how education is NOT a necessary expense.
I am delicious.
frankly the NCAA had a chance to rule over the European professional teams who provide benefits to teen players….now the NCAA has given these professional organizations control over a Euro teen trying to play U.S. college basketball. way to go…I hope the Kanter family can forgive the NCAA or sue them for this ruling. Adults should know better and lead by example rather than by the seat of their pants…
Enes should NOT be able to play, he took money, why is it so hard to accept. He came here to get an education, guess what HE CAN STILL get an education.
Someone need to check if FIBA has a salary cap for members of pro-teams juniors teams; this turkish pro-team may have done this to Enes on purpose; parents could be naive at times.
The dude can still study at Kentucky. Nobody is stopping him from that. If that is truly what this is about, an education from the university of Kentucky, then he will be in Lexington in the NBA offseason for the next two years taking classes. I highly doubt that is the case, which means everyone who says its all about education is either an idiot or full of ish.
17) u done good
How does BTI feel about this post?
25. Completely agree. We condemn the NCAA for getting things wrong…a lot! But when they actually get a ruling right even though it’s against our beloved Cats then we have to respect it. The rule is clear and he broke it. I can understand if that wasn’t the Kanter’s intentions but rules are rules. The issues with Cam Newton and Ohio St. players are different issues. It was clear those decisions were based on money. Money that would be potentially lost if those players were not allowed to play. As wrong as those rulings were, it has nothing to do with Kanter. All it does is make the NCAA inconsistent and in the pockets of the BCS.
I think Bilas’ take is partially wrong. He makes good points on some things but the part about not letting Kanter be a student is wrong. As 25 pointed out he can still get an education at UK but we all know he won’t. Cal will prep him for the upcoming draft and he will leave UK without ever playing or getting a degree. If getting an education was that important than he would stay and be a student. If people are going to be angry about it then be angry that the NCAA is in the pockets of the BCS and not that that they didn’t let Kanter play when they in fact made the right decision according to the rules.
Those that are making threats to the NCAA are an embarrassment to the rest of us fans.
I didn’t play for UK basketball, but I still got an UK education. Enes can too, if that is his argument.
Bilas should have done the interview with the tool from the NCAA instead of Franklin who got owned by the guy.
25. Going to school and playing bball for free vs. Going to school not playing basketball and paying thousand dollars. Enes could have come and got an education while preparing for his more immediate future. He must be EVIL.
BOOM…..says bilas.
#12, if you such “captain obvious” why dont you use that pea brain of yours…if Kanter came to display his skills more so be it, even though he was a top 5 predicted pick AND STILL IS NOT BEING ABLE TO PLAY THIS YEAR. He’s a basketball player, thats what he does, do you expect him now since he cant play to compromise his entire future by sitting out playing no basketball at all for the next 3 years? Sounds pretty stupid, the OBVIOUS choice would be to go to the draft.
Notice that Kentucky State is on the bottom line…
12. So he should continue to go to school but not have a way to improve his skills and potentially harm his career?
i see captain obvious isnt the only idiot that cant logically think…#30 seems to be on that page too. Its not a shock that he is ineligible but your arguement that he can still stay and get an education is remedial. His whole thought process was to get an education then go to the draft, even if it wasnt, your statement of him still staying is retarted. Like posted earlier, why would he now stay for 3 more years not being able to compete competitively to get an education and forfit his ability to play in the NBA, i’m pretty sure he is ranked as the best big man for his age, basketball is where his future is. Do you honestly think any top player in the US goes to college with the intent of getting a degree, or do you think their goal is to play professionally? Afterall he turned down a professional contract overseas to play here for free, no matter how long it was going to be. He could get an education and still keep his skills sharp, now he is forced to go…pretty easy to see if you ask me
Kentucky needs to get some kind of arrangement with the Reds, where UK fans buy lots of season tickets for baseball, and all UK’s recruits get signed to nice baseball contracts. Voila, better attendance in Cincinnati, and let the NCAA fume about it. Every guy we’re after is enough of an athlete to warrant the contract, all the NCAA could do is bitch about it, until they re-write their rule book again.
39.Great idea!Captain obvious ,seriously,who cares about your opinion.
12) Why in the world would a professional athlete forgo millions of dollars to play college basketball in the US? The answer is, THEY WOULDN’T. Kanter was NOT a professional athlete… he competed on a club team and took expense money – same as kids that attend basketball academies here in the US. The 33K in “excess benefits” is chump change for professional athletes – which is further proof that he WAS NOT a professional. He was 16 years old, had no say in the decision, and is not being punished by an organization that has YET to get a big decision right.
The decision was made, but that doesn’t make it right, and it doesn’t make it just for Enes Kanter. To see that kid sitting on the end of the bench dieing to help his teammates is one of the saddest sights I’ve seen. The whole thing makes me sick to my stomach and we should no more stop pushing this than we would for any other person unjustly convicted or punished.
^”now” being punished
Well, well, well. The link above re: Kanter’s earlier commitment to the UW still causes us fans to wonder where the then President of UW was during this timeframe and why he didn’t inform his coaches of the danger in signing Kanter???????????? Hummmmmmmmmmmmmmm…..
Does intent count for anything? Kanter certainly had no intent to “professionalize”. His parents accepted the “excess” benefits to fund Kanters’ education (which BTW is allowed by the NCAA). Their mistake was not insisting that the money be paid directly to the educational institution instead of themselves. If the money were paid directly to the school/tutor in Europe he would be eligible today. Clearly the NCAA ignored intent and followed the “letter” of the rule. What would have happened to Pryor, Selby and Bost if the NCAA had chosen to follow the “letter” of the rules with them?