UAAP eligibility panel clears Slaughter for Ateneo, but not Parks for NU

MANILA—The tallest varsity player in recent years will likely bring his act to the UAAP while the debut of another standout may just have to wait.

Ateneo rookie Greg Slaughter, the Smart Gilas mainstay standing just a shade below seven feet, got clearance from the eligibility committee yesterday, but National University’s Ray Parks may need to sit out one more year.

UAAP president Ricky Palou of host Ateneo said, however, that the report from the eligibility committee only serves as a recommendation to the league board, which will release the schools’ final lineup next week.

The UAAP Board is set to convene on July 5, just five days before the men’s basketball tournament unfolds at the Araneta Coliseum.

“Any other questions may still be raised during the UAAP board meeting,” said Palou. “Schools may also file [eligibility] protests until the end of the tournament’s first round.”

Perpetual recruit dropped
Over at the NCAA, Perpetual Help dropped a promising recruit from its lineup just a day after announcing the resignation of head coach Boris Aldeguer.

Marlon Gomez, a 6-foot-4 transferee from Jose Rizal University, will no longer suit up for the Altas in the NCAA men’s basketball competition even after getting a clearance from the league Policy Board.

Anthony Tamayo, president of host Perpetual Help, said the school wants to honor an “unwritten gentleman’s agreement” so as not to compound the problems of the Altas, who already have to deal with the sudden resignation of head coach Boris Aldeguer.

Gomez and another 6-foot-4 recruit, Paul Nuilan, were already declared ineligible to play last year for the Altas after failing to meet the league requirements.

But this season, only Gomez got the go signal to play as Nuilan reportedly still submitted improper documents.

Nuilan’s exclusion had been cited as among the reasons for the surprise departure of Aldeguer, who was replaced by interim coach Jimwel Gican.

“It’s a difficult decision to make,” Tamayo said during the PSA Forum presented by Smart, Outlast Battery, Shakey’s and Pagcor yesterday at Shakey’s UN Avenue.

“We have an unwritten gentleman’s agreement to ask permission from [the involved school] if we want to hire a player. This was overlooked. But whatever was done in the past was done without malice. So to eliminate any doubt, we decided not to let him play.”

Questions on Slaughter’s eligibility have been raised by some schools since the UAAP prohibits players serving their residency to suit up for other teams in commercial tournaments. Playing for the national team, though, has been cited as an exemption.

As for Parks’ case, the league requires a two-year residency for players who studied overseas.