Robin Benzing Sighting
Thought this was cool - an ad for Turkish airlines using some Euro Hoops players. In the making of the video at the bottom of the article, you learn that one of the players in the ad is Robin Benzing.
http://deadspin.com/euroleague-players-get-together-for-amazing-pool-du…
Benzing averaged 6 points a game this year for Bayern Munich.
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/what-happened-robin-benzing
Signed with Michigan in 08, but couldn't become eligible with the NCAA because of playing semi-pro ball in Europe.
I believe the issue wasn't that he was ineligible on amateurism grounds, but that he simply didn't qualify academically.
http://www.ballineurope.com/us-basketball/ncaa/robin-benzing-not-eligib…
This basically says that he played on a team with pro (ie paid) players even though he wasn't getting paid himself. It seems that is where the NCAA had issues with his eligibility. It could have also been academic reasons as well though.
Thanks for adding that. Didn't realize it had been that long since Benzing was on the radar. But he's 25 now, so that makese sense.
To remember the name and the "why is this relevant" and then it hit me. He was back in 08, which seems like a lifetime ago.
Who is this?
EDIT: Just seen the above post. But still never heard this name before.
I think he was a prototypical Beilein player (maybe a stretch 4?) who could've helped us a ton those first few years. The NCAA banned him from coming here from Germany though for an undoubtedly stupid reason and thus we played 4 guard line-ups with Deshawn Sims as our 5
which was Beilein's first class I believe. He would've come in with Zack and Stu
The NCAA found another way to screw us with BS eligibility rules unrelated to pay for play or performance enhancing substances.
Meanwhile, we've all read the article about SEC bag-men, NC academic fraud, Cam Newton's father soliciting disqualifying extra benefits, SEC recruits flashing cash on the internet after committing, and Miami boosters actually providing disqualifying extra benefits to then eligible players actually playing for Miami. Currently, the only schools the NCAA holds accountable are B1G schools (including Penn State, who got hammered for something that although horrible, was totally unrelated to even the most expansive interpretation of an NCAA by-law) and USC. What's the lesson here? Don't try to run a clean program because that means you will be bad at covering up the cheating?
If it wasn't for all the money flowing to "non-revenue" sports, which is the source of U.S. dominance in most international women's sports, I'd heartily agree with the "burn it down" solution. As it is, [sigh]