2006

EC men get back wins, • President's council

presidents. Last week. the Mississippi Association of Community and Junior Colleges Athletic Coun– cil upheld the ruling of commis– sioner Jim Southward that play– er Rodney Turner be ruled ineli– gible for the remainder of the season and that East Central for– feit four wins this season. At questions was Turner's out– of-district status. Turner was a

1999 graduate of Forest Hill High School. which is in Hinds Community College's recruiting district. In 2001, the MACJC changed its rules on in-state recruiting, creating the use of a protected list for every district. Each school can "protect" a cer– tain number of players' in their district every year, meaning those players can't be recruited by other junior colleges in the

changes rules, says EC player is eligible to play.

By Robbie Robertson ~ \'cwton Rnord

The East Central Community College men's basketball team won't have to forfeit four wins this season after a conference call of the state's junior college

player eligible state. MACJC rule book.

In Monday's president's coun– cil conference call, ECCC presi– dent Phil Sutphin argued that point to presidents of the other schools and apparentlymade his point.

But after being reported, Southward saidTurner was sub– ject to the rules in place in 1999 ~vhen he graduated. Under those rules. Turner would need a writ– Jten release from Hinds before he would b• eligible to play for an ther l\LL\CJC school. the t there was nothing covering the subject in the current

The president's council voted unanimously to change the rule which will allow any player that East Cenu·al's argument was

See ECCC, Page 4B

d "I thought Dr. Sutphin "The commission an did an outstandU:g job of the athletic council inter- arguing our pomt ~d preted the rule book as staying on course with best they could andmade a that. In the end, all the ruling on that," ECCC ath· presidents agr~ed that letics director Terry • th k you Undel ·wood said... "The they didn t m t 1 could punish the team or presidents council ac ua . the player for a rule that ly agreed that they made wasn't even in the ~ule the proper ruling. B~t book We're just exc1ted they also agreebed thhat gt e~ for o~ kids and our pro- rule needed to c an . . , and that's what they dld.. gr~~r Monday's 86-79 So they changed the rule loss to Hinds, East Central and then .acted odn ;: stands at 16-6 on the sea– appeal. which rna e ney eligible. son.

ECCC From Page 1 B

graduated before 2001 to play at another other MACJC school without a waiver. . t Once the pres1den s changed the rules. East Central's appeal was taken up and it was ruled that Turner was an eligible player and ~e~efore the earlier decision ""as reversed.

APPEARED I LAKEMESSI SCOTICOUI UNION APPE WINSTON CC

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CLARION-LEDGER-------

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