As the Big West Conference regular-season champion now, the University of Hawaii basketball team will definitely be the hunted in the conference tournament next week in Anaheim, Calif.
But some of its players are already being stalked — by recruiters from other schools.
It is a pursuit that UH is little more than a pained bystander to, with hardly a voice in the whole curious matter.
Thanks to the NCAA-mandated 2016-17 postseason probation hanging over UH, other schools have been free to recruit Rainbow Warriors whose senior seasons would be impacted by the ban.
Under NCAA rules, that means it can be open season on the core of players who would otherwise comprise UH’s future: Aaron Valdes, Stefan Jankovic, Mike Thomas and Stefan Jovanovic.
It is a pursuit that leaves UH little say. Certainly it has no standing to decide who the raiders may talk to or which — and how many — schools may attempt to recruit their seniors-to-be. Nor is UH’s permission required.
Once the NCAA Committee on Infractions lowered the boom three days before Christmas, the door was opened and the romancing could begin. Valdes and Jankovic also are attempting to graduate early.
Never mind that UH is in the midst of a run to what could be its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2001-02. Or, that it has mounted a robust 66-page appeal of the postseason ban to the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee.
The appeal process, according to an NCAA spokeswoman, can take five months — or more. Time enough for the cupboards to be pretty well emptied.
Even if UH were to eventually succeed in having the ban overturned, it would have no recourse with players who had committed elsewhere.
Nevada-Las Vegas learned this the hard way two years ago. The Rebels received a bowl ban in football due to a low Academic Progress Rate score, whereupon a three-year starter on the offensive line transferred to Arkansas. When the ban was overturned a few months later, UNLV was out of luck with no claim on the player.
According to NCAA rules, one of the few restrictions on suitors is that they must notify the school of their intent, something that is little more than a courtesy call. The only requirements UH may apply to the courtship, according to the NCAA rules, would be “related to the contact (e.g., no visits during class time), provided such restrictions do not preclude the opportunity for the student-athlete to discuss transfer possibilities with the other institution.”
Athletic director David Matlin declined to comment or disclose numbers of the players being recruited.
Basically this leaves UH in the position of having to re-recruit its own players who have attracted interest.
Meanwhile the Big West tournament and any postseason play that comes thereafter — the Rainbow Warriors have clinched at least a bid in the National Invitation Tournament as they pursue the big prize, an NCAA Tournament berth — is advertising for a sale UH would rather not have.
Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.com or 529-4820.
