NCAA Looking Into Eligibility of Titan Basketball Transfer

The eligibility of Cal State Fullerton basketball player John Williams is under study by the NCAA, Coach Bob Hawking said Thursday.

The eligibility issue involves Williams’ status as a transfer student. He signed a letter of intent to attend Utah State during his sophomore year at Mt. San Jacinto College in Texas, but spent only one day on the Logan, Utah, campus in the fall of 1994, according to Hawking.

Hawking said Williams returned home to Moreno Valley because of hardship reasons and did not attend college last year. He also said Williams’ letter of intent with Utah State was voided for hardship reasons by the Collegiate Commissioners Assn., which oversees such matters for the NCAA.

“Our position is that since he sat out last year, was on the Utah State campus only a minimal amount of time and there were extenuating circumstances, he should be eligible to play this season,” said Lee Gilbert, Fullerton’s faculty representative for athletics. “But we’re seeking clarification on the matter.”

Gilbert said the university asked for the clarification after its normal eligibility review. A ruling is expected within two weeks. The Titans open the regular season Nov. 28 at UCLA.

Williams, a 6-5 forward, averaged 23 points and 12 rebounds at Mt. San Jacinto as a sophomore.