Top freshman JaQuan Lyle no longer on Oregon's roster
After Oregon updated its men's basketball roster on Tuesday evening, it didn't take long for savvy fans to point out a key difference.
JaQuan Lyle, Oregon's top freshman, is no longer on it.
Lyle was not admitted to the university despite being cleared by the NCAA, Rivals.com reported Wednesday morning. An Oregon spokesman confirmed Lyle has been removed from the roster but offered no further comment, citing student privacy laws.
Adding to the confusion over Lyle's status at Oregon is a tweet he sent Tuesday night that read "I'm good, y'all! I promise, just wait!!" The Rivals.com report indicated Lyle needed to finish a summer course to complete his admission requirements to Oregon and a final determination on that course has yet to occur.
Whether Lyle ever dons an Oregon jersey is unclear at this point, but what's abundantly clear is how big a loss it would be for the already shorthanded Ducks if he can't play this season.
Lyle, Rivals.com's No. 24 recruit in the Class of 2014, is an outstanding outside shooter who can also both score and distribute off the dribble. He is projected to start right away at wing if he is able to play for the Ducks this season.
Not having Lyle would leave Oregon with only 10 scholarship players and further diminish the Ducks' depth. Between five seniors graduating, several key transfers and the dismissal of Damyean Dotson, Dominic Artis and Brandon Austin, Oregon returns only two key players from last season: Pac-12 player of the year candidate Joseph Young and forward Elgin Cook.
If Lyle indeed is denied admission to Oregon, he would be the second member of the Ducks' freshman class to have that happen despite meeting NCAA standards. That suggests Oregon perhaps is being especially vigilant with its admissions process in response to the rape allegations that led to the dismissals of Dotson, Artis and Austin in June. Austin, a Providence transfer, was suspended for his freshman year at Providence after being accused of sexual assault but Oregon took him anyway, a decision that has since been heavily criticized.
- - - - - - -
Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
