Rutgers Athletic Center. Photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
A check for $857.20 changed Rutgers' basketball recruit Maori Davenport's life — but not for the better.
What's happening: The check was sent to Davenport by USA Basketball for "lost wages" during her time with the U-18 team over the summer. Once she cashed it, she was declared ineligible by the Alabama High School Athletic Association, which does not allow payments of more than $250. Now her high school basketball career is effectively over.
- USA Basketball routinely checks with the state athletic association on their policies regarding payments, but failed to do so in Davenport's case.
What they're saying:
- ESPN's Jay Bilas: " The issue is one of reasonableness. ... Is it reasonable to punish an innocent girl for a clerical error? No."
- Brian Agler, coach of the WNBA's Dallas Wings: "I'm just puzzled by the regality of the Alabama High School State Association. … It's one adult group denying her the eligibility while another adult group also made an error."
P.S. ... This isn't the first time a high school athletic association has punished a student for unfortunate circumstances, and it won't be the last.
- Last year, a football player in Washington, D.C., was ruled ineligible to play because he was homeless.