Zaronn Cann loses scholarship

[Paul Wall]

you guys are missing the point cann isnt that good, he won't be playin... who cares about the rest.

[DELdaBull]

They are student athletes.  Student comes first.  USF was dumb enough to give a broke down student as scholarship, they should hold their end of the bargain.  The risks were known before the offer was made!  At the very least if another D 1 school wants him (which I doubt since our BBall team was one of the worst in the country) USF should petition the NCAA so the kid does not have to sit out one year.

[Cubanbull]

Scholarships are NOT guaranteed for four years. they are renewable yearly

[Mama_Bull]

In his usual fashion, Brett published the story in the Trib without getting all his ducks in a row.  

Apparently he got a lot of flack and you will find a more extensive post here on the story.

Cann Family Upset Over Scholarship

Skip directly to the full story.

By BRETT MCMURPHY The Tampa Tribune

TAMPA - At Brandon High, Zaronn Cann was one of the nation's top college basketball recruits, drawing interest from the likes of Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Michigan, Florida and Florida State.

That all changed in his junior year on Jan. 16, 2004 when Cann tore the ACL, MCL and LCL in his left knee. During Cann's senior season, the only colleges willing to take a chance on him and his rebuilt knee were the University of South Florida, West Virginia and Virginia Tech.

Cann chose USF. Concerned that Cann might not regain the ability he had before major reconstructive knee surgery, Cann's mother, Zenobia Cann, and uncle, Joe Williams, wanted assurance that Cann's scholarship - renewed on a yearly basis - would be guaranteed for his entire USF career.

Athletic Director Doug Woolard told them that would be the case as long as there were no off-the-court issues, Zenobia Cann and Williams said.

On Tuesday, Coach Stan Heath told Cann, a freshman forward, that he could not return next season. As USF's new coach, Heath has the right to not renew any scholarships and determine who is on his team. However, Cann's family believes Zaronn should remain on a basketball scholarship because of Woolard's promise.

"We should not be in this situation," Williams said. "Doug Woolard committed to us that Zaronn would remain at USF on a basketball scholarship as long as there were no other problems."

Williams said that without Woolard's promise Cann would have gone to West Virginia or Virginia Tech, which made the same promise.

Heath said Cann's dismissal from the program "is not basketball related and is not injury related. This is in the best interest of the student-athlete.

"We will fully assist Zaronn helping him find a school that is best for him," Heath said. "Doug Woolard is fully committed to fulfilling his commitment to Zaronn and his family."

Woolard concurred with Heath's comments about Cann's removal from scholarship not being basketball or injury related.

"Coach Heath told me I wasn't going to get the [playing] time I wanted and it would be in my best interest to play somewhere else," Cann said. "I told him I could play for him, and he said I wasn't the caliber of player he wanted."

Cann said he recently missed some weightlifting and study hall requirements, but Williams questioned whether that was enough to dismiss Cann, who is academically eligible, from the team.

"If Doug Woolard can approve football players, who are arrested or test positive for drugs, to remain on scholarship - this is nowhere consistent when you look at the discipline he has or hasn't taken in the past," Williams said. "That's where I have a problem."

Cann and his family are scheduled to meet with Heath next week. Zenobia Cann said Heath said her son could remain on scholarship by taking a medical hardship - ending his eligibility to play the rest of his career - but Cann said he wants to continue to play at USF.

http://sports.tbo.com/sports/MGBUK73LY0F.html

[Cubanbull]

Maybe NEXT time he will wait to have BOTH sides of the story before writing a story that slams the Athletic Dept. Somehow I think im wrong on that one. Now he knows why Heath refer to him as "Oh You are Brett McMurphy" during his press conference.

[Bull94]

Scholarships are NOT guaranteed for four years. they are renewable yearly

I understand scholarships are not guaranteed but they should be. That's my point. If a coach can make a guaranteed $5million over so many years whether or not he performs then why can't the kids put on scholarship be guaranteed an education? After all they are the ones that generate billions of dollars a year for these schools.

In this situation it looks like it will work out if he wants that education. He can take a medical hardship but the NCAA needs to step in and change this rule. Coaches can come in and cut kids leaving them twisting in the wind while banking millions a year.

Where is the almighty Dickie V crying foul on this one? He thinks kids should pass up the NBA millions to stay in school but he has nothing to say about the schools actually providing an education for these Student - athletes .

[Bull94]

Why would you give this kid a free ride, but make other the other kids pay for tuition?

Is it because he got recruited and then stunk?

We don't kick him out of school?

We just don't pay his bills anymore.

I thought I was liberal.

geez

We give him a free ride because we signed him to a scholarship. We thought enough of his potential to pay for his education.

Do the Pistons get their money back when Darko Millivich isn't what they thought? No. Not one penny of it.

I'm actually more of a libertarian. I actually think no student athletes should get to go to school for free unless they are on a revenue producing team. Then they should be paid like the minor league athletes they are.

[JoeBulls]

They assume that VA Tech wouldn't have cut him..

The isnt' very good.

I am sorry.

[Triple B]

Scholarships are NOT guaranteed for four years. they are renewable yearly

I doubt that is ever brought out in the recruiting process unless it's a special circumstance like Cann was.

Potential recruits and, more importantly, family will understand a player losing a roster spot because he just wasn't cutting it because of injury or whatever. You better be sure, though, that he knows that the education will be there no matter what, within reason. We appear to have that covered with Cann but you can bet that others will try and use the situation against us, not telling the whole story, on the recruiting trail in the future.

[bulls96go]

If the word was given the word needs to be kept.  I want to have a winning basketball program as much as anyone else here but above that I want the university that I attended to have a reputation that goes above and beyond and is above reproach...IMHO.

If i can't trust you with a dime i can't trust you with a dollar.

IF you do not keep your word to this kid, why should the next recruit's parents send their kids to you?