Alabama freshman Collin Sexton has yet to have his eligibility reinstated by the NCAA and will be held out of Monday night’s exhibition game.
According to a statement by Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne, the decision came after learning of Sexton’s status this afternoon:
“The NCAA informed us late this afternoon that Collin Sexton has not had his eligibility reinstated by the NCAA.
We don’t have any further information at this time, but will continue to cooperate with the NCAA and work toward a resolution that results in Collin’s timely reinstatement.
While we are disappointed, the right decision was to err on the side of caution for tonight’s exhibition game.”
Sexton is ranked as the No. 7 overall player in ESPN’s 2017 recruiting rankings.
Alabama opens the regular season on Friday against Memphis in the Veterans Classic.
Lovell’s Analysis
Well, we now have yet another talented SEC player being sidelined due to potential eligibility issues.
First it was Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy being held out at Auburn, and now Sexton’s on-court future is unknown in Tuscaloosa.
Just as Auburn did, Alabama is taking precautionary measures in case eligibility questions arise down the road.
Of course, not having Sexton on the court for an extended period of time would be a major blow to the Crimson Tide, as he’ll be the most dynamic offensive player on the floor this season.
Just like with Wiley and Purifoy, there are still too many unknowns to be able to accurately predict when Sexton could return to action.
However, from my perspective, this seems to be more of a when Sexton returns than an if Sexton returns situation. What we don’t know is how long it’ll take for entire process to unfold.
And given the anticipation surrounding this particular team, this isn’t exactly a positive development with the season opener against Memphis only days away.