Michigan State Basketball: Why was Joey Hauser robbed by the NCAA?

With transfers from around the country being dubbed immediately eligible this offseason, Michigan State basketball has to realize Joey Hauser was robbed.

Joey Hauser was robbed by a little old lady on a motorized cart, and he didn’t even see it coming.

Lloyd Christmas’ quote from Dumb and Dumber doesn’t exactly do what happened to Hauser last year any justice. The sophomore big man and transfer from Marquette applied for a waiver of immediate eligibility and was given the runaround for months and even had in-person interviews with the NCAA and Tom Izzo said he had a “good case” to play right away.

And then, after the season began, he was told he had to sit out the season, sitting a year that ultimately would be wasted by the novel coronavirus.

When he decided to transfer, it didn’t seem like there was a good reason to become immediately eligible and many just assumed he’d be sitting out. But then it became clearer that it can only help to apply for the waiver because what’s the worst thing that can happen?

Being led along for months and then told no after the season already started seemed like a bit much for a guy who had a “good case” according to a coach that usually doesn’t like immediate eligibility waivers for transfers.

Fast forward to this offseason and we’re seeing players granted immediate eligibility around the nation who didn’t exactly leave terrible situations.

https://twitter.com/SpartanAvenueFS/status/1301239196347232256?s=20

Other big names who were granted immediate eligibility who don’t seem to have a better case than Hauser are David DeJulius (Michigan to Cincinnati), Colin Castleton (Michigan to Florida), DJ Carton (Ohio State to Marquette) and Alan Griffin (Illinois to Syracuse).

Why was Hauser robbed by the NCAA while these guys were allowed to play immediately?

Honestly, it’s a good question considering we don’t know the case that Hauser presented but if Izzo said he felt good about his chances to be cleared, there’s a strong chance that he wasn’t given a fair shake. It’s almost like “everyone but Hauser” is the new mantra concerning waivers.

Is it because of viewership and making the NCAA look better with better players on elite teams?

Not necessarily because Marquette and Cincinnati, and even Florida and Syracuse right now, aren’t on the same level as Michigan State. If it was about overall optics of the sport, Hauser would have been able to play immediately.

Why was he denied? Who knows, but it’s incredibly questionable to see all these guys being able to hit the court in year one with their new programs while Hauser watched from the sidelines.