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http://www.timesonline.com/sports/c...cle_5849902a-3f1c-11e7-a997-d30456df9390.html
When Cameron Johnson decided to transfer from Pitt, it was seen as perhaps the biggest loss in an off-season of departures for the school. Instead, it's become even more, putting Pitt and Johnson at the center of a national debate over the rights of NCAA student-athletes.
Johnson, a Moon Township native and OLSH grad, requested his release for his Pitt scholarship in early April and is expected to graduate this year. He’s played two seasons with the Panthers after getting a medical redshirt for his first term at Pitt. Because he’ll have already graduated from Pitt, Johnson will be eligible immediately and have two seasons to play with whichever school he chooses to transfer to.
That is, with some exceptions. Pitt gave Johnson an immediate release from his scholarship, but not if he chooses to transfer to another ACC institution or another team on Pitt’s 2017-18 schedule. That’s a standard practice among Division I schools these days, but it’s also become increasingly unpopular.
Johnson started his search for a new home by visiting Moon native John Calipari at Kentucky and Blackhawk grad Sean Miller at Arizona, along with Oregon and UCLA. He’s also showed interest in Ohio State and TCU.
As a redshirt sophomore, the Pitt guard and OLSH grad went much of the year going unnoticed while the Panthers' seniors did most of the scoring. Now Johnson's known around the ACC as a threat from beyond the arc.
But the current front-runner for Johnson represents the source of the drama: North Carolina. Johnson recently received permission from Pitt to contact Tar Heels’ coach Roy Williams and has done so. There seems to be a lot of mutual interest, with Carolina looking to replace ACC player of the year Justin Jackson, who will enter the NBA.
Johnson and Jackson are both 6-foot-8 and are both talented 3-point shooters, setting up a natural landing spot for Johnson. But there’s the sticking point of North Carolina’s conference affiliation, and Pitt doesn’t seem willing to budge on the program’s restrictions.
Pitt can’t stop Johnson from waiting out a season to transfer, but because he’s already redshirted once, he would lose a season of eligibility if he went down that road. A Pitt athletics spokesperson defended the university’s decision in a statement:
“Cameron Johnson and his father were informed of our policy as well as the appeals process when they elected to seek to transfer. They went through our transfer appeals process and were granted permission to contact ACC schools however, the committee upheld the policy to limit immediate eligibility within the conference. If Cameron were to transfer within the ACC, he would be eligible to receive financial aid immediately but would have to sit out a year of competition due to standard NCAA transfer regulations. Throughout this process, we have remained consistent to our department policy and we will continue to do so.”
The policy that Pitt maintains is common in college athletics, not just basketball, and all of Pitt’s five outgoing transfers and three incoming transfers this off-season were subject to similar restrictions.
That didn’t stop ESPN analyst Jay Bilas from spending most of the day on Sunday railing against Pitt’s decision on Twitter, saying “Pitt is wrong here, and should let Johnson go.”
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Jay Bilas
✔@JayBilas
Cameron Johnson GRADUATED from Pitt, and stayed at Pitt when his coach, Jamie Dixon, bolted to TCU. Now, he's restricted? That's wrong.
4:27 PM - 21 May 2017
Bilas believes that players should be able to transfer freely, citing the ability of NCAA coaches to change jobs at will while players get restricted. He also believes that the NCAA should compensate players for their time. Bilas, a former Duke player and assistant coach, clearly has an agenda beyond whether Johnson transfers to North Carolina or not. He also has over 1.7 million Twitter followers and a voice on one of America’s most-watched cable networks, turning Pitt’s decision into a proxy for his larger arguments.
That’s left Pitt with a no-win situation. The school can continue to block Johnson from being immediately eligible at North Carolina and other ACC schools and take a beating from public figures that disagree. Or they can relent, losing face at changing their mind due to the heat of public perception.
On the other hand, Johnson seems to have a win-win. He has a ready-made home in North Carolina if he can find away to become eligible there. He also has several other attractive offers to play for some of college basketball’s best programs.
When Cameron Johnson decided to transfer from Pitt, it was seen as perhaps the biggest loss in an off-season of departures for the school. Instead, it's become even more, putting Pitt and Johnson at the center of a national debate over the rights of NCAA student-athletes.
Johnson, a Moon Township native and OLSH grad, requested his release for his Pitt scholarship in early April and is expected to graduate this year. He’s played two seasons with the Panthers after getting a medical redshirt for his first term at Pitt. Because he’ll have already graduated from Pitt, Johnson will be eligible immediately and have two seasons to play with whichever school he chooses to transfer to.
That is, with some exceptions. Pitt gave Johnson an immediate release from his scholarship, but not if he chooses to transfer to another ACC institution or another team on Pitt’s 2017-18 schedule. That’s a standard practice among Division I schools these days, but it’s also become increasingly unpopular.
Johnson started his search for a new home by visiting Moon native John Calipari at Kentucky and Blackhawk grad Sean Miller at Arizona, along with Oregon and UCLA. He’s also showed interest in Ohio State and TCU.
As a redshirt sophomore, the Pitt guard and OLSH grad went much of the year going unnoticed while the Panthers' seniors did most of the scoring. Now Johnson's known around the ACC as a threat from beyond the arc.
But the current front-runner for Johnson represents the source of the drama: North Carolina. Johnson recently received permission from Pitt to contact Tar Heels’ coach Roy Williams and has done so. There seems to be a lot of mutual interest, with Carolina looking to replace ACC player of the year Justin Jackson, who will enter the NBA.
Johnson and Jackson are both 6-foot-8 and are both talented 3-point shooters, setting up a natural landing spot for Johnson. But there’s the sticking point of North Carolina’s conference affiliation, and Pitt doesn’t seem willing to budge on the program’s restrictions.
Pitt can’t stop Johnson from waiting out a season to transfer, but because he’s already redshirted once, he would lose a season of eligibility if he went down that road. A Pitt athletics spokesperson defended the university’s decision in a statement:
“Cameron Johnson and his father were informed of our policy as well as the appeals process when they elected to seek to transfer. They went through our transfer appeals process and were granted permission to contact ACC schools however, the committee upheld the policy to limit immediate eligibility within the conference. If Cameron were to transfer within the ACC, he would be eligible to receive financial aid immediately but would have to sit out a year of competition due to standard NCAA transfer regulations. Throughout this process, we have remained consistent to our department policy and we will continue to do so.”
The policy that Pitt maintains is common in college athletics, not just basketball, and all of Pitt’s five outgoing transfers and three incoming transfers this off-season were subject to similar restrictions.
That didn’t stop ESPN analyst Jay Bilas from spending most of the day on Sunday railing against Pitt’s decision on Twitter, saying “Pitt is wrong here, and should let Johnson go.”
Follow
Jay Bilas ✔@JayBilas
Cameron Johnson GRADUATED from Pitt, and stayed at Pitt when his coach, Jamie Dixon, bolted to TCU. Now, he's restricted? That's wrong.
4:27 PM - 21 May 2017
Bilas believes that players should be able to transfer freely, citing the ability of NCAA coaches to change jobs at will while players get restricted. He also believes that the NCAA should compensate players for their time. Bilas, a former Duke player and assistant coach, clearly has an agenda beyond whether Johnson transfers to North Carolina or not. He also has over 1.7 million Twitter followers and a voice on one of America’s most-watched cable networks, turning Pitt’s decision into a proxy for his larger arguments.
That’s left Pitt with a no-win situation. The school can continue to block Johnson from being immediately eligible at North Carolina and other ACC schools and take a beating from public figures that disagree. Or they can relent, losing face at changing their mind due to the heat of public perception.
On the other hand, Johnson seems to have a win-win. He has a ready-made home in North Carolina if he can find away to become eligible there. He also has several other attractive offers to play for some of college basketball’s best programs.
