Miami basketball player Dewan Hernandez final appeal denied by NCAA
Seeking reinstatement to the Miami basketball team after missing the first 16 games of the 2018-19 season, Miami basketball Junior center-forward Dewan Hernandez had his final appeal denied by the NCAA on Monday.
The Miami basketball team has gone 9-7 in Dewan Hernandez’s absence. Five of their seven losses were by single digits. Hernandez would have been the Hurricanes leading returning scorer and rebounder this season if he had been eligible.
Hernandez averaged 11.6 points per game, 6.7 rebounds and shot 57.6 percent from the floor during the 2017-18 season. He was expected to be the centerpiece of the Miami basketball team this season with Sophomore point guard Chris Lykes.
Hernandez had his eligibility questioned last spring due to contact he allegedly had with an agent. Hernandez’s supposed contact was part of the Adidas corruption trial and scandal that rocked college basketball during the fall of 2017. The scandal cost several college basketball coaches their jobs including Louisville’s Rick Pitino.
The NCAA determined during Hernandez’s final legislative appeal that he had a verbal agreement in place with an agent. No written agreement was ever signed. The next course of action for Hernandez is to seek reinstatement from the NCAA’s student-athlete reinstatement committee.
I do not understand why other individuals that were implicated continue to compete, while I am being punished. I have sat out 16 games... Why me? No worries though, God has the last say so 🙏🏽#freedewan
— Dewan Hernandez (@DewanGoesFor_20) January 14, 2019
Christy Chirinos of the Sun Sentinel quoted Hernandez’s attorney Jason Setchen discussing what they will be doing next to get his client reinstated for this season.
"“Dewan has not given up on the process,…We await student-athlete reinstatement and we continue to put our faith in the process, despite being frustrated. We remain hopeful he’ll play this season when [the] student-athlete reinstatement [committee] considers mitigation.”"
Setchen was hired by Hernandez in December to help expedite his eligibility. Setchen posted his thoughts on Sunday regarding Hernandez’s attempts to have his eligibility restored.
The committee assigned by the @ncaa to hear Dewan Hernandez’s appeal is scheduled to meet Monday. Keep Dewan in your thoughts and prayers. If the panel independently reviews the record before it the current interpretation will be overturned. #freedewan #ncaa #theu #umiami
— Jason Setchen (@AthleteDefender) January 14, 2019
Miami has a week off after defeating Wake Forest on Saturday. The win was the Miami basketball team’s first in conference play this season. The Hurricanes host North Carolina on Saturday. The Hurricanes are 9-7 overall and 1-3 in the ACC.
Hernandez would be a huge boost to a Miami frontline sorely lacking in depth. Depth on the frontline was supposed to be the Hurricanes strength this season. Head Coach Jim Larranaga chose to Redshirt Junior center Rodney Miller out of concern he would not get enough playing time.
Miami found out the day of their first regular season game against Lehigh that Hernandez’s eligibility was being called into question. The Hurricanes lost backup center, Redshirt Freshman Deng Gak eight games into the season with a year ending knee injury.
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Gak’s injury left Senior Ebuka Izundu as the only true post player on the Miami roster. Iznudu has responded. He is averaging 11.8 PPG, 9.5 RPG and 1.6 blocks while shooting 65.3 percent from the floor.