Head coach Matt Doherty may have one fewer player than expected when practices begin next season. After the signing of a Top-10 point guard recruit, Jarred DuBois has asked to get out of his NLI. (John Schreiber)
While the SMU basketball team is in Africa, there has been some trouble with a new recruit.
Jarred DuBois is a 6-foot-3-inch 170-pound point guard from Los Angeles. During his senior season at Westchester High School he averaged 16.7 points, 3.2 assists and four rebounds a game as well as 1.5 steals.
DuBois signed a National Letter of Intent, NLI, to play basketball next season at SMU, but with the signing of top 10 prospect Paul McCoy, also a point guard, from Portland, Oreg. DuBois asked out of his NLI.
“Jarred signed only because he was assured that SMU had only four scholarships for 08 and that no additional point guards would be added until the class of 2009,” Gary DuBois, Jarred’s father, said in an e-mail statement.
DuBois also listed the absence of former assistant coach Lance Irvin, who was added to the coaching staff at Southern Illinois University in April as a reason for Jarred asking out of his NLI.
“However, once Jarred was convinced to commit and sign early, the university went forward and released the one assistant coach, Lance Irvin, that was most instrumental in recruiting Jarred,” DuBois said in the same e-mail.
SMU head coach Matt Doherty was not available for comment due to the team’s travels. But the athletic department did release a statement.
“As of this date, scheduling has not allowed for an in-person meeting between the coaching staff and Jarred DuBois. We hope to schedule a meeting with Jarred as soon as the team returns from its trip to Africa in order to allay any concerns he has. We still believe SMU is the best place for Jarred academically and athletically and look forward to him being a Mustang,” SMU Associate Athletic Director for Compliance and Student Services Jeff Konya said in an e-mail.
However, in a second e-mail from Gary DuBois it does not appear that a meeting will be necessary or productive. He said that an appeal has been sent to the NLI Policy and Review Committee oh behalf of Jarred.
Also, “Regardless of decision by the Review Committee on the appeals, Jarred will not attend SMU. Following a review of the NCAA rules restricting contacts with other universities, Jarred and his family will begin to search for a West Coast Division 1 university to continue his academic and athletic career,” DuBois said in an e-mail.
DuBois concluded the e-mail by stating that a meeting would not be held upon the return of the men’s basketball team.
