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Kansas Jayhawks: Will Cliff Alexander Play Again This Season

By Mike Norris

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Cliff Alexander could be back for the Kansas Jayhawks Tuesday against West Virginia, or he may never suit up again for the team.

It’s more likely to be the latter than the former, as the only answer anyone has at this point is that it appears to be no small issue.

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There has been no mention of anything that could disqualify the Jayhawks from any kind of competition, but there is always the chance.

We have seen the NCAA retroactively do this before, most prominently, and recently, with Derek Rose.

After his Memphis Tigers lost to Kansas in the 2008 finals, his team was stripped of all 38 wins that season, as well as its NCAA Runner-Up status.

At this point it is nothing more than speculation and attorney statements, but there has been little optimism.

Kansas Head Coach Bill Self alluded to the fact this may only affect Cliff, just prior to the Texas game in a quote to the Topeka Capital-Journal.

"“I haven’t heard anything other than the fact that it involves Cliff, not a KU situation, but a Cliff situation,” Self said. “So the NCAA, obviously they’ve got to get to the bottom of it and figure out what’s going on. We understand that. Hopefully, it’s done in a timely manner so that we’re not left in limbo and the kid’s not left in limbo.”"

The Jayhawks dealt with a similar situation in regard to an NCAA issue after five-star recruit Josh Selby signed to play for the 2010-2011 season.

Selby ultimately missed the first nine games of the season for “accepting impermissible benefits prior to his signing an athletics aid agreement at Kansas,” according to a KSHB 41 Kansas City article.

There is no proof that Alexander is caught up in an impermissible benefit scandal, but there are obviously those (mainly on message boards) who think that is the case.

For Rose, it was an academic issue, so there is the possibility of that as well.

It could also be something entirely different, and there is no official timetable as of now.

Alexander’s attorney, Arthur McAfee, told SI.com he hopes the NCAA takes in to consideration the fact that only two regular season games remain on the schedule.

"“I would assume that [the NCAA] understands the pressures of the current basketball season,” McAfee said, “and I’m sure [it] will try to do [its] job in a thorough fashion, to cause the least amount of harm to Cliff and the university.”"

Unfortunately there is no answer as of now to the question of whether Alexander will suit up for the Crimson and Blue ever again. Despite a disappointing season for Selby, he opted for the NBA after his freshman campaign.

He scored only 83 points in two seasons.

Hopefully for Alexander and the Jayhawks, jumping to the NBA when he is not ready (because some team will take him), won’t be the case.

Even if this drags on and he misses the rest of the season, here’s to hoping it’s nothing that will keep him from coming back to the Jayhawks as a sophomore.

Next: Kansas Jayhawks: It's Time for Landen Lucas to Step Up

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