Facey, Samuel Face Eligibility Issues

Two seasons ago, then-freshman Ryan Boatright found himself in the NCAA's crosshairs. He was eventually forced to sit out six games while the NCAA reviewed his eligibility.

Now two members of the 2013 freshman class find themselves in similar predicaments. According to the Hartford Courant's Dom Amore, UConn's basketball program is working to satisfy the NCAA's concerns over the eligibility of Kentan Facey and Terrence Samuel.

Amore writes that Samuel's issues are academic in nature; he had to repeat two high school courses this summer, which explains why he won't enroll at UConn until the fall.

"I think he'll be on campus in the fall," coach Kevin Ollie said via Amore. "There are still some NCAA issues going on and I think he's providing the NCAA with some great tools to go forward. He's doing a great job. He had to take a couple of summer courses over, I think he's completed those and we're going to send those into to the NCAA eligibility center next week and hopefully we get a good outcome. I feel like everything is going to work itself out because of the dedications he's done. He has accepted the challenge and worked to put it behind him."

Facey, meanwhile, has the more complicated issue, according to Amore. He played three years at Long Island Lutheran which, in the NCAA's estimation, may affect his college eligibility.

"There are some eligibility issues with his coming over from Jamaica and going to Long Island," Ollie continued. "We've got to discuss that with NCAA. I don't see it being a problem, once he is able to tell his side and why he decided to come over when he did and what was the formality of him being placed in a certain grade. I think we got a great case on our side and I think we'll see him with a UConn jersey on in the fall, also. But if we don't, we've got to move on like we always do. Take the good with the bad and learn from it, rally around him and rally around our team."

While there is plenty of depth in the backcourt with Shabazz Napier and Boatright and Samuel likely wouldn't be a major contributor this season, Facey could be an integral cog to the Huskies' frontcourt. Assuming, of course, the NCAA doesn't declare him ineligible.

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