BLOOMINGTON, Ind., Dec. 1 (UPI) -- A basketball player at Indiana University is ineligible because he played for a pro team in France and his collegiate eligibility has expired, authorities said.
The NCAA announced Tuesday that 7-foot junior college transfer Guy-Marc Michel's five-year collegiate clock began in the fall of 2006, making him ineligible to play this season, The Indianapolis Star reported.
Michel played basketball for a French sports club team from 2005-08, and while most of that time he was on teams not considered professional, he played five games with the club's top-level team in 2007-08, the newspaper reported.
IU says he will keep his two-year scholarship and be allowed to complete his degree.
NCAA Division I Student-Athlete Reinstatement Committee denied an appeal by IU.
"We are disappointed by this decision because everyone involved in this process agrees that Guy did not intentionally do anything that would have jeopardized his ability to play here or at any of the number of institutions that also recruited him," IU coach Tom Crean said.
"We will regroup, assess all our options and do whatever we can for Guy, who demonstrated to us that he deserves to be part of the IU program.''
