Sam Cassell Jr. – son of three-time NBA champion Sam Cassell – lost his last-ditch appeal to play college basketball this season — and his father is not happy about it or the NCAA.
Cassell, an assistant with the Washington Wizards, called college’s governing body the “neighborhood bullies” and that a legal battle would be a pointless endeavor.
“They do whatever they want,” Sam Cassell said. “It doesn’t even do any good to fight it.”
High school basketball stars Myles Davis and Cassell Jr. were denied eligibility because of questionable classes they took at Notre Dame Prep school.
“The NCAA just wants kids to fail,” he added. “It’s not these kids’ fault. The NCAA can’t penalize Notre Dame Prep, so they are squashing the kids dreams.”
Cassell said his son didn’t have six courses validated from the Massachusetts prep school that were taken two years ago. The identical courses were also attended by eight other basketball players — each of whom were cleared to play Division 1 college basketball last season.
Cassell, who didn’t qualify out of high school back in the late 1980s and went to junior college for two years, said his son is crushed that he can’t attend Maryland. He was on campus for summer school, took two classes and earned a 2.5 GPA.
“He had his heart set on it,” Cassell said. “He’s really hurt.”
Now Cassell will look into other options. There’s a chance he could go to an SEC school and sit out this season — or head to another school and sit out as a non-qualifier.
“I’m not sure what he’s going to do yet,” Cassell said. “He’s going to make his own decision and I’m just here to support and guide him.”
“But what the NCAA has done isn’t right. What they do to kids isn’t right.”
The NCAA has not commented on the case.
