EAST LANSING, Mich. _ Michigan State basketball coach Tom Izzo said the NCAA denied an appeal for immediate eligibility for Marquette transfer Joey Hauser.
That means the sophomore must sit out this season per transfer rules and will not be able to play for the Spartans until the 2020-21 season.
"Joey did have a strong case," Izzo said Thursday. "And I am devastated, if you want to know the truth."
Izzo said the decision on the Hauser situation and the current handling of transfer waivers by the NCAA caused him to resign from the National Association of Basketball Coaches Board of Directors on Wednesday night after the ruling was issued.
The 6-foot-9, 220-pound sophomore averaged 9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game to earn All-Big East freshman team honors last season. Izzo has said Hauser is "probably the second-best shooter on our team" and compared him to former Spartan A.J. Granger, a stretch-4 who can hit 3-pointers and provide a post presence.
Izzo said Hauser came to MSU not expecting to play, and that he and the university did not initially plan to appeal for an immediate waiver until Hauser's family decided to try for one.
