Crandall University basketball team penalized for using ineligible player

The Crandall University men’s basketball team has been penalized by the Atlantic Collegiate Athletic Association for using an ineligible player.

A Crandall Chargers guard played for the American Basketball Association before enrolling in the Christian liberal arts university in Moncton, N.B. To be eligible to play for a university under ACAA rules, a player must take a full year break after participating in a professional league.

“The offending team will lose any and all points awarded in contests where the ineligible player participated,” said the ACAA in a statement released on Thursday.

That means each game Crandall won using the player will now be considered a forfeit. This won’t affect teams who haven’t lost to Crandall, but it will help teams who did.

The top three teams, Holland, MSVU and Mount Allison maintain the same standings.Teams that were at the bottom of the standings have climbed. The University of New Brunswick Saint John, St. Thomas University, Dalhousie University’s Agricultural Campus and the University of King’s College all climbed up the ACAA standings by one place.

Crandall was in fourth place before the penalty and is now in last place, with three wins and 15 losses.

Ron O’Flaherty, executive director at the ACAA said the incident was self-reported by Crandall  in late January.

“It’s an unfortunate incident,” said O’Flaherty in an interview.

He said he has no idea why the incident wasn’t caught sooner.

The Signal attempted late Thursday to reach the ineligible player, but was unable to do so. The Signal has decided not to identify the player until he has had more opportunity to respond.

The Signal also called the Crandall University communications office and basketball coach Jonathan Spirritts Thursday afternoon for comment, but did not get a response.

Crandall is still listed as hosting the playoffs at the end of the season.