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11/02 21:55 CST Courtroom chaos hits college basketball as dozens play after judges block NCAA eligibility rules Courtroom chaos hits college basketball as dozens play after judges block NCAA eligibility rules By DAVE SKRETTA AP Basketball Writer LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) --- The college basketball season tipped off in earnest Monday with something never before seen in the century-plus history of the game: Dozens of players across the country suited up after winning court orders against the NCAA's new eligibility rules. The bizarre situation meant some teams had talented fifth-year players back, some of whom had played in the NBA's summer league, while others had to fill in gaps after players they were counting on were left in limbo by a loss in a courtroom. "I'm just a kid from Rochester, New York. Love the game of basketball," said Kansas guard Melvin Council Jr., who along with Tre White and Trey Kaufman-Renn were cleared to play for the No. 17 Jayhawks against Fordham on Monday night. "I never thought I'd be going to court about the rest of my life." White, Council and Kaufman-Renn combined for 41 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists in their 95-65 win over the Rams. Most lawsuits have centered on the NCAA's new five-year eligibility model, which gives athletes five seasons to play in a five-year period, beginning when they turn 19 or graduate from high school, whichever is earlier. But that rule did not apply to those from the high school class of 2022, who were completing four seasons of eligibility when it was adopted earlier this year. So, many of those players went to court asking for a fifth season. Others added their names to existing lawsuits. In most of the cases, a series of judges --- in Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky and elsewhere, many of them involving plaintiffs from out of state --- have granted them injunctions, allowing them to play once more, at least for now. "Every game could be my last," White admitted. "That's how I'm feeling." There are subtle wrinkles to most of the cases. Some players competed at junior colleges and believe they should have another year of eligibility. Others took redshirt seasons, or had to medically redshirt, and asked for that year of eligibility back. Many players left college believing their careers were over, or signed with professional teams, and suddenly are back in college.

Hundreds of players involved As of last week, the NCAA reported some 200 lawsuits filed since its approval of the new eligibility model in June, encompassing 850 plaintiffs in a variety of sports. Of that total, 362 men's and 62 women's basketball players were involved in lawsuits, with nearly half of those --- 171 men, 30 women --- having received some type of judicial relief allowing them to play. Last Friday, the NCAA was denied an emergency injunction by a Kentucky Court of Appeals judge, leaving eligible 30 athletes, a list that includes Missouri basketball player Mark Mitchell and LSU's Skyy Clark. That ruling came one day after the Ohio Supreme Court kept in place a ruling allowing two dozen players involved in an eligibility case there to remain available. Not every ruling has gone in favor of the athletes, though. RJ Godfrey of fifth-ranked Arizona withdrew from a "five-for-five" case in Georgia and joined a Texas lawsuit in an attempt to gain eligibility. But a judge there indicated during a hearing last week that he would not grant temporary restraining orders to those who had sought injunctive relief in other states, leaving Godfrey out for Monday night's game against No. 22 UCLA. "We have a court system in the U.S. that's going to impact our game this year, and you wish cooler heads would prevail and give these kids the opportunity they deserve," Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said. "These kids did nothing wrong, and they're missing out on a life-changing opportunity, not only experience-wise but financially, just because of the year they graduated from high school. "Somebody," Lloyd said, "has to explain to me why that's OK."

Finally, the focus goes from legal courts to basketball courts Defending national champion Michigan put Roddy Gayle in the starting lineup Monday night and he made a jumper early in the No. 16 Wolverines' game against Oakland, taking advantage of his chance after spending two years at Ohio State and two in Ann Arbor. Gayle ended up with 17 points in the Wolverines' 84-68 victory. "I felt every bit of 23 (years old)," he said. Keyshawn Hall had a game-high 26 points for No. 13 St. John's in its 78-63 win over Monmouth; Darrion Williams played 24 minutes in Texas Tech's 76-42 win over Jackson State; Javon Bennett had five points in 13 minutes to help No. 15 Gonzaga beat Purdue 78-72; Malik Reneau played 23 minutes in No. 14 Miami's 77-67 loss to top-ranked Florida; and Xavier's Filip Borovicanin, the lead plaintiff in an Ohio case, had eight points, seven rebounds and six assists in the Musketeers' 97-52 rout of Mount St. Mary's. "The NCAA screwed up on this deal," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "You've got to be fair and let these (class of) 22's in." Minnesota coach Niko Medved would have loved to put forward Cade Tyson, who was sixth in the league in scoring last season, into his lineup against North Dakota. But while Tyson has been practicing with the Gophers, he remains ineligible after a lawsuit that he is part of filed in Colorado was halted by a temporary injunction and routed toward an appeals court. Making things even more frustrating for Medved, the Gophers play St. Thomas and Kendall Blue --- who's been granted eligibility after transferring back from Nebraska --- on Monday, then play Cincinnati and similarly eligible guard MJ Collins next week. "It's really been admirable to see how (Tyson) has handled it, kept a great attitude and always been around and willing to do whatever you need him to do to help the team," Medved said. "He's got to sit and watch those guys play against us? That's got to be hard. "It should be hard for everybody in college basketball, honestly."

Court cases expected to linger well into the season The unpredictable nature of court rulings --- and whether appeals by the NCAA ultimately will rule out those currently eligible --- have left coaches throwing up their hands in frustration. All they can do is coach the players available, for as long as they're available, and hope they have the team they expected to have on the court this season. "I think these cases are going to go well into the season," said Duke coach Jon Scheyer, whose team opened against Army on Monday night. "I think no question you're going to have cases where certain players get an injunction, they're eligible for a certain period, and then they're not. And so how is that viewed from an NCAA Tournament standpoint?" Add that to the list of questions for which nobody seems to have an answer. "If we lose sleep over this nightly because we're worried about something we have absolutely no control over, we're worried about the wrong things," Jayhawks coach Bill Self said, when asked about his trio of players granted injunctions. "That would be like going to bed every night worrying about someone getting hurt every day. I don't think you can coach defensively. "If something does happen that's negative in our eyes, you know, somebody is going to have to fill the void," Self added. "But we're certainly hopeful. And it is a concern. But we're certainly hopeful." ___ AP Basketball Writer Aaron Beard and AP Sports Writers Larry Lage, Dave Campbell and Mark Anderson contributed. ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full men's basketball coverage here