KEON LAWRENCE TO BEGIN HARDSHIP WAIVER PROCESS

Seton Hall is hoping that Keon Lawrence will be available for them next season (something discussed previously here) as the Former Missouri Tiger is Seeking a Hardship Ruling to Play this Year (Kansas City Star).

Lawrence was to be Admitted to Seton Hall Monday (ZagsBlog.net) and at that time Lawrence’s advisor, Alif Muhammad, says the process of an appeal for the waiver would begin. The basis for the waiver would be based on the NCAA’s allowing of Julian Vaughn to be eligible to play for Georgetown this season after transferring from Florida State.

Muhammad, according to the Kansas City Star, said several members of Lawrence’s family are facing “serious medical issues.”

The Star continued that in Vaughn’s case, Florida State did not object to the hardship appeal. MU officials might well object to Lawrence’s appeal, based on the way Lawrence left Columbia earlier this summer.

The Star reports that Lawrence sent a letter to the Missouri coaches stating he was unhappy and that he wanted to look around for another school. He later had second thoughts but Coach Mike Anderson, tired of having to talk Lawrence into staying at MU on several occasions, released Lawrence.

Looking at this situation from a distance, another difference in the transfer when Vaughn left FSU it was reported that George Mason was the only other school in consideration which, like Georgetown, is very close to his home. It was reported that Lawrence Chose Seton Hall (Columbia Tribune) over schools such as Providence, Marquette, Houston, Georgia, Virginia, Cincinnati and Morehead State, none of which were too close to his Newark (NJ) home.

We will see if this situation is as clear cut as we previously believed.