The conference-leading Winona (Minn.) State University men’s basketball team has had 13 of its games nullified by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, leaving the Dragons a half game out of first place.
Warriors junior guard Grant Johnson – who played for the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, Wis., last season – has been deemed ineligible for the remainder of the season due to a violation that occurred within the program regarding a misapplication of NCAA transfer rules.
“It was a misreading on (the Winona State athletic department’s) part,” NSIC Commissioner Butch Raymond said. “It was not an intentional violation of NCAA rules.”
Raymond also stated this was the first time a violation like this occurred in the NSIC. However, no policies will change due to the violation.
“It was simply a human error,” Raymond said. “I suppose their athletic department will change some things to prevent this from happening again, but that’s an internal thing that they will have to deal with.”
According to the NSIC, nullification is a mathematical calculation used to reduce the team’s percentage of their win/loss record and the strength of schedule index. The nullification value brings the Warriors’ win percentage from .900 to .601.
The athletic department at Winona State was contacted on Jan. 23 by another university, questioning Johnson’s eligibility. Head coach Mike Leaf withheld Johnson from competition after questions were raised. Upon discovering the violation, they immediately informed the NCAA and have since worked with both the NSIC and NCAA in an attempt to resolve the situation.
“I deeply regret that we did not exercise due diligence in clarifying Johnson’s eligibility,” Winona State athletic director Larry Holstad said in a press release on Feb. 14. “Neither the student-athlete nor the Winona State coaching staff knowingly broke any NCAA rules.”
Before being ruled ineligible, Johnson was ranked second on the team in scoring – averaging 15 point per game – and fourth in both assists and steals.
The nullification of 13 contests drops the Warriors from first in the NSIC to fifth. They are technically still ranked third in the nation, however, as the NCAA will not assess penalties until the end of the regular season. The Dragons, on the other hand, now move into second place. They are a half game out of first place with just two games left in the regular season.
“We’re going into the last weekend (of the regular season) and we control our own destiny,” Dragons’ head coach Chad Walthall said. “That’s really all you can ask for.”
Despite the fact that the Dragons can win the conference championship on a technicality, Walthall does not want to let that take away from this opportunity.
“At the end of the day, a championship is a championship,” Walthall said. “Ten years from now, I don’t think anyone is going to remember the circumstances.”
Johnson has not played in over three weeks, but the Warriors won every game without him until their 90-72 loss to the Dragons on Friday night.
“We played really well in the first half,” Walthall said, “one of our better halves of the year. (The Warriors) made a run in the second half, but we did a good job holding them off and played with poise down the stretch.”
No matter where the Dragons end up in the standings, they will be in a good position come playoffs, and Walthall’s expectations are high.
“You can expect our guys to play hard,” Walthall said. “They’ve done that all year.”
BY DANNY DETERMAN
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