Noam Yaacov denied eligibility for college basketball season
The NCAA has declared the Israeli guard ineligible to play for the University of Utah this year. The reasons for the decision remain unclear despite the university's efforts.
A major disappointment for Noam Yaacov. The Israeli guard, who signed with the University of Utah about two months ago, was informed last night by the NCAA that he would not be able to play in the college league this year and was declared "ineligible."
Reports in the US state that as of now, the reason Yaacov did not receive approval is "unclear." American media reported that Utah worked hard to obtain approval for Yaacov, but their attempts were in vain. The sports.ksl website wrote: "This is a significant loss for Utah, especially because of the role Yaacov could have filled."
Utah coach Alex Jensen addressed the decision after the news was received: "Noam will look for other playing opportunities, and we wish him all the best. We want to thank everyone who worked tirelessly throughout the process."
The last season in Belgium was a great breakout season for Yaacov, with averages of 17.2 points, 6 assists, and 3.9 rebounds for the Belgian team Oostende. In fact, this was the first time in his career that he was given the keys as a lead point guard and delivered accordingly, until the cruel end of a loss in the fifth and deciding game of the playoff final series against Antwerp. Before that, the 21-year-old guard played for the French team ASVEL, Hapoel Jerusalem, and Hapoel Tel Aviv.
