SU self-reports NCAA violation

Seattle University self-reported a secondary violation in its men's basketball program to the NCAA, making the Redhawks ineligible for next week's Division II tournament.

The violation involves the certification of a player who played in the team's first 21 games this season before the school voluntarily withheld him from the past five games.

The school declined to identify the player, though Michael Knight, a senior who previously played at the University of Albany, is the only player to have participated in only 21 games, according to team statistics.

Despite a 17-9 record, it was unlikely the Redhawks would have made next week's NCAA West Regional in their final year as Division II members. Last May, Seattle U officials voted to seek Division I status as an independent. The school had abandoned the classification in 1980, citing costs and other factors.

Seattle U successfully submitted an Administrative Review Subcommittee waiver, which was approved by the NCAA Friday, granting the player's eligibility. To fulfill the conditions for reinstatement, he will not play in Saturday's season finale against Montana State Billings.

"There was no malintention intended whatsoever," Seattle U athletic director Bill Hogan said. "We came forward. ... We want to take this issue and move forward with it and learn from it."

Under NCAA guidelines, Seattle U's 17-9 overall record and 10-7 Great Northwest Athletic Conference record are not changed, but the team's winning percentage for tournament consideration was dropped from .653 to .128 -- .025 for every contest in which the ineligible athlete participated. Only teams with .500 or better winning percentages are considered for NCAA Tournament selection.

Twelve of the 21 games in which the athlete participated were GNAC contests. Enforcing the same penalty for conference games, Seattle U's .588 GNAC winning percentage was adjusted to .288, dropping the Redhawks to eighth place.

"This matter is indeed unfortunate for all of us, the university, the team, the student-athlete involved and the conference," GNAC commissioner Richard Hannan said in a statement.