Fresno players want OUT !

[MeanGreen61]

Off the WAC board.

Bulldogs' signees request releases

Fresno State says the players will be accommodated.

Vaughn McClure

The Fresno Bee

March 31, 2005

Fresno State men's basketball recruits James Tchana and Eric Van Vliet, both of whom signed national letters of intent in November to play for Ray Lopes, are seeking immediate releases from the university.

Van Vliet said he already is in the process of obtaining the release. Fresno State, through its compliance office, gave other Division I schools permission to contact Van Vliet.

Once a letter of intent is signed, an athlete is bound to a school for one academic year, unless that school grants a release. Other schools are not allowed to contact an athlete who has signed a letter of intent unless the school the athlete signed with grants written permission.

"From what I understand, once I receive an offer from another school, Fresno State will grant me my release," Van Vliet said Wednesday. "The process is pretty much out of my hands. I'm just waiting to finalize the deal."

Van Vliet said he is "not at liberty to say" which schools have contacted him. And he said Lopes' March 17 resignation isn't the only reason he wants his release. "Lopes is the main reason, but the state of the whole athletic department, in general, bothers me," Van Vliet said. "And, academically, I saw that report that showed the program hasn't been doing too good, like one of the worst in the nation. That kind of bothered me, too."

Van Vliet has a 3.3 grade-point average. The 2003-04 Fresno State men's basketball program had one of the worst academic performances in the nation, based on a new NCAA rating system.

Tchana said Lopes' resignation is the primary reason he wants out. The 6-foot-8 post player from New York's Our Savior New American School spoke with Fresno State interim athletic director Paul Oliaro on Monday.

"He told me to wait and see who the new coach would be, but, to be honest, I really don't want to come to the school," Tchana said. "I signed with Coach Lopes and his staff. With Lopes gone, I just want to sign with another school. I hope to get my release by the end of this week."

Oliaro said Wednesday that although keeping the recruits is the main objective, the school does not hinder recruits from obtaining such releases.

To be released without losing a year of eligibility, Tchana and Van Vliet have to get Oliaro to sign a release request form and send it to the National Letter of Intent program. There is an appeals process if Fresno State does not grant the request.

Extenuating circumstances must be presented in any appeal to the National Letter of Intent Steering Committee. In general, the committee determines what constitutes "extenuating" on a case-by-case basis. Prior examples include the illness of the student, illness or death of a parent and financial hardship of the student's family.

Texas A&M and Houston are two of the schools Tchana is considering. When asked if he would come to Fresno State if assistant coach Guy Beach gets the head coaching position, Tchana responded, "No, just to be honest."

Beach played a big part in recruiting Tchana.

"It's surprising," Beach said of Tchana's decision.

If Tchana and Van Vliet are granted their releases, Fresno State will be left without a recruiting class, at least until a new coach is hired. Tchana and Van Vliet are the only two prospects to sign with Fresno State. One other recruit — forward Diamon Simpson from Hayward — verbally committed to the Bulldogs in February with the intention of signing in April. But Simpson reopened the recruiting process after Lopes resigned.

The late signing period for recruits begins April13 and ends May 18.

The impending departures of Tchana and Van Vliet, and probable loss of Simpson, could have a huge impact on the Bulldogs next season — if the team stays intact. With seniors Mustafa Al-Sayyad (6-9), Dreike Bouldin (6-7) and Jack Marlow (6-9) departing, Fresno State lacks size.

"Tchana, Van Vliet and Simpson are all three really good recruits we could have been getting in," freshman Carl Ross said. "That was going to be the core of our frontcourt.

"Them leaving, that's pretty bad."