Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
Players transfer from schools for a variety of reasons. Playing time, a coaching change or a general sense of being unhappy are just a few examples of some of the better known reasons as to why a talent will leave on program for another. Being homesick, well, it is a reason that is actually more popular than you might think.
Since the news broke the Angel Rodriguez was transferring from the Kansas State Wildcats program, the college basketball world has been pretty stunned. The guard — whose last moment in a Wildcats uniform was an airball — got plenty of minutes on the court and was a pivotal part of all things Kansas State success related.
Rodriguez was a year removed from a coaching change, so he was not leaving because of that. As the already aforementioned time on the court states, it was not a lack of playing time that made the talented guard decide to leave Bruce Weber‘s squad. Nope, it was none of that at all.
ESPN’s Andy Katz has gotten a quote off of Weber in which the coach said “Angel feels an obligation to be closer to his family”, which means all that was going on was Rodriguez is a little bit homesick (he calls Puerto Rico home).
This obviously puts K-State in a predicament where a strong talent is leaving their program. However, there is a bigger issue that will come up very shortly. Regardless of where Rodriguez transfers to, when exactly will he be eligible?
There is no ‘homesick waivers’ as far as I know, but I assume (speculate) that Rodriguez will apply for a hardship waiver to play immediately. Considering he is leaving a power conference and at best will join another power team, it is not as if he is leaving to further his basketball career. In fact, he is leaving just to be closer to his family.
If the NCAA does anything right, they would allow him to play right away. Their job is to protect student-athletes as well as look over the meaning of the word “amateurism”. Rodriguez is doing nothing here that would make you think he is doing something professional or that taking his career elsewhere would be somehow ruining the world of collegiate athletics.
Then again, it is the NCAA I am talking about.
Heck, who am I kidding. I will just start it now before the NCAA makes a horrible official ruling — #FreeAngel
Joe is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @JosephNardone
