Tai has landed in Lincoln, not yet cleared

[AuroranHusker]

Nebraska basketball recruit Tai Webster has arrived in Lincoln from New Zealand, Husker coach Tim Miles confirmed Saturday night.

 

Getting Webster on campus from 7,750 miles away is a big first step for the player considered the prize of Miles’ first full recruiting class.

 

Yet the combo guard still isn’t certified by the NCAA to play the coming season...

 

http://www.omaha.com/article/20130713/HUSKERS/707139863/1001#new-zealand-recruit-lands-in-lincoln

 

NU needs a big-time player to be "cleared" to play, not a Roburt Sallie-esque "wait-and-see" experience for Husker Hoops...   ... Time will tell which way this will go for the Big Red.

[FredsSlacks]

Gotta love the clearinghouse taking their time in deciding the fate of an 18 year old who just traveled halfway across the world to play basketball for free instead of getting paid in his home country.

 

They wasted no time in clearing Grant Gibbs for that 6th year though...

[tcp]

If they screw us again on this stuff, I'll happily provide the torches AND the pitchforks.

[colhusker]

If they screw us again on this stuff, I'll happily provide the torches AND the pitchforks.

I'll bring the horses and wagons!

[Bugeaters1]

I have the TAR. Sort of, it is tar that one use's to tar joints together.

[Norm Peterson]

If they screw us again on this stuff, I'll happily provide the torches AND the pitchforks.

And Cip can provide the tomatoes to throw.  Although that might diminish his supply of salsa later on ...

[Huskerpapa]

He will be cleared, and sooner rather than later.  That is my hunch.

[AuroranHusker]

He will be cleared, and sooner rather than later.  That is my hunch.

 

Hope you're right about this... ANY waiting for the clearinghouse is an excruciating experience!

[49r]

He will be cleared, and sooner rather than later. That is my hunch.

Mine too

[CrazyforNUHOOPS]

You guys worry too much. Tai will be fine to play.

[uneblinstu]

You guys worry too much. Tai will be fine to play.

I their defense, we've had our hearts broken way too many times. That next shoe is due at any moment now...

[Huskerpapa]

You have to earn respect...check out the headline on this NBC article...

 

Nebraska freshman Tai Wesley still waiting to hear from NCAA Eligibility Center

Raphielle Johnson

Jul 14, 2013, 7:06 PM EDT

Leave a comment

AP

The summer months for incoming freshmen can be a tense period for some, especially if they’ve yet to hear from the NCAA Eligibility Center about their status for the upcoming season.

A ruling in the affirmative means (obviously) that they’re cleared and ready to take the floor for their new school, with the hope of making an immediate impact. But to be declared a partial (you can practice and receive a scholarship, but can’t play in games) or non-qualifier (you can’t receive a scholarship or join the program) means that their college career hits a speed bump for that freshman campaign.

Nebraska freshman guard Tai Webster has made the long voyage from his native New Zealand to Lincoln, with the expectation that he’ll begin taking summer school classes on Monday. Expected to be an impact newcomer for Tim Miles’ squad, Webster averaged 18.5 points and 4.4 assists per game for the Waikato Pistons last season.

But, Webster has yet to be cleared to play this season according to Lee Barfknecht of the Omaha World-Herald.

Neither [summer school] enrollment nor class attendance in college affects the NCAA certification process, which focuses on initial eligibility factors such as core high school courses and standardized test scores.

A denial of NCAA certification for 2013-14 would create the possibility of time at a prep school or delayed full-time college enrollment.

The Huskers don’t lack for experience in the backcourt, with senior Ray Gallegos (12.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg) and sophomores Benny Parker (2.7 ppg, 2.1 apg) and Shavon Shields (8.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg) all being members of the rotation last season.

But Nebraska does have to account for the loss of their leader in both scoring and assists, Dylan Talley (13.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.5 apg).

With Talley leading the way the Huskers ranked 30th nationally in turnover percentage, handing the ball over on just 17.2% of their possessions (16.1% in conference games, 2nd in the Big Ten), so this is a notable loss to say the least. The return of the aforementioned perimeter contributors certainly helps, and the 6-3 Webster is expected to figure prominently in the discussion as well.

It certainly helps Webster in regards to both his physical development and getting used to Miles’ system that he’s on campus now, but those positive words from the NCAA Eligibility Center can’t come soon enough.

Raphielle can be followed on Twitter at @raphiellej.

[Creighton Fan]

Gotta love the clearinghouse taking their time in deciding the fate of an 18 year old who just traveled halfway across the world to play basketball for free instead of getting paid in his home country.

 

They wasted no time in clearing Grant Gibbs for that 6th year though...

 

Gotta love the clearinghouse taking their time in deciding the fate of an 18 year old who just traveled halfway across the world to play basketball for free instead of getting paid in his home country.

 

They wasted no time in clearing Grant Gibbs for that 6th year though...

When did Tai receive his latest test score?  When did that score get submitted to the NCAA?

[Norm Peterson]

Kinda scary point they make about how, with Talley, we were among the national leaders in NOT making turnovers.  2nd in Big Ten at only 16% of possessions ending in turnovers.  With Talley gone, that changes the dynamic quite a bit.  We're going to have to find a way to make it work.  He might have been a pretty under-rated player for us the way he switched positions mid-year and became a PG.  And a pretty darned good one at that.

[dskurz]

I'm sure this has been asked/addressed already, but if he enrolls here and goes to class and then doesn't get cleared and goes to prep school, does that prevent him from returning to Nebraska?  Wasn't that the same scenario for Sallie?  Or was that only a Big 12 rule?

[royalfan]

Kinda scary point they make about how, with Talley, we were among the national leaders in NOT making turnovers.  2nd in Big Ten at only 16% of possessions ending in turnovers.  With Talley gone, that changes the dynamic quite a bit.  We're going to have to find a way to make it work.  He might have been a pretty under-rated player for us the way he switched positions mid-year and became a PG.  And a pretty darned good one at that.

Miles is smart enough to identify a way to make the offense function.  Prior coaches would have not been smart enough to think outside the box and even consider Talley running the show. 

[extremehoops]

What a poorly written article that never got to any real point.   That must be why you really have to search to find Raphielle Johnson print.

[ajb5856]

I'm sure this has been asked/addressed already, but if he enrolls here and goes to class and then doesn't get cleared and goes to prep school, does that prevent him from returning to Nebraska? Wasn't that the same scenario for Sallie? Or was that only a Big 12 rule?

That was just a Big 12 rule.

[atskooc]

I'm sure this has been asked/addressed already, but if he enrolls here and goes to class and then doesn't get cleared and goes to prep school, does that prevent him from returning to Nebraska?  Wasn't that the same scenario for Sallie?  Or was that only a Big 12 rule?

I think that was a Big-12 Conference rule.

 

I think.

[trickey]

I'm sure this has been asked/addressed already, but if he enrolls here and goes to class and then doesn't get cleared and goes to prep school, does that prevent him from returning to Nebraska?  Wasn't that the same scenario for Sallie?  Or was that only a Big 12 rule?

Since he has met the test score minimum....he would be at worst a partial qualifier as cited above. It seems that is possibly why he did not come in earlier as they could not pay his tuition without the score, which he finally got early this summer (ours). Now he would be at least a partial qualifier. 

[hhcmatt]

What a poorly written article that never got to any real point.   That must be why you really have to search to find Raphielle Johnson print.

 

Tai Wesley agrees

[cipsucks]

 

What a poorly written article that never got to any real point.   That must be why you really have to search to find Raphielle Johnson print.

 

Tai Wesley agrees

 

It's NBC.  I'm sure the headline writers have been taught creative editing, also.....

[cipsucks]

I hope he didn't have these pilots.......

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJ0sTJ1AIaM

[hskr4life]

As terrible as that is... whoever read that and let it still go on the air needs to be fired.  It is kind of funny hearing the seriousness of the reporter.  I just can not believe no one caught it!

[Norm Peterson]

Some people were calling that racist.  I don't get why it would be racist.

 

Is asking the lady at the county fair horse show to page "Mike Hunt" racist?

 

Or talking about the law firm of "Dewey, Cheatham and Howe"?  Is that racist?

 

How about the Irish guy lounging by the pool named Patty O'Furniture?  Racist?

 

Those obviously sound close enough to real Chinese or Asian names that it didn't arouse suspicion at the news station.

 

I think it was devilishly clever that they were able to punk the news station like that.

 

In fact, I would say it was friggin' brilliant.  And not racist.  And I wouldn't feel bad laughing about it except that three young people died.  Still, when the Challenger blew up almost 30 years ago, people were making jokes about it within hours.  And that wasn't racist either.