NC State tries again for immediate eligibility for Beverly

By AP
Published

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) North Carolina State is trying again to get freshman guard Braxton Beverly cleared to play this season.

Athletics spokesman Fred Demarest said Wednesday night that the school has submitted a request for the NCAA to reconsider its decision that Beverly is ineligible to play this season. Beverly's attorney, Scott Tompsett, issued a statement saying he hopes ''the NCAA takes this opportunity to do the right thing'' and let Beverly play immediately.

Beverly enrolled at Ohio State and took two summer courses before an unexpectedly late coaching change led him to obtain his release and join the Wolfpack by the fall semester. Taking the classes triggered the NCAA designation that Beverly was an undergraduate transfer as opposed to an incoming recruit, meaning he would have to sit out a year.

''Braxton is a young man who has been severely penalized through no fault of his own,'' Tompsett said, saying Beverly is being penalized for ''doing nothing more than attending summer school to get a head start on his academics.''

N.C. State opens the season Friday at home against VMI under first-year coach Kevin Keatts. The 6-foot guard from Hazard, Kentucky, is considered a three-star prospect who would provide 3-point shooting and depth with Keatts installing an up-tempo scheme and pressure defense this season.

N.C. State announced Oct. 13 that its initial request for Beverly's eligibility was denied, and appealed that decision 10 days later. The school said the NCAA denied that appeal Oct. 30, though Beverly is allowed to practice with four years of eligibility starting with the 2018-19 season.

Beverly talked at the team's preseason media day in September about the situation, saying he had been in summer school for a few weeks at Ohio State to take a ''rural sociology'' class as well as online science course for ''lifespan and human development.''

But the school suddenly fired coach Thad Matta on June 5 and later hired Butler's Chris Holtmann. Beverly then received his release and signed in July with N.C. State.

Demarest said last week that Matta and Ohio State supported Beverly's efforts to play right away.

''It is obvious that decisions like the one in this case are a major reason people think the NCAA has lost its sense of justice and fundamental fairness,'' Tompsett said in his statement.

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