Cameron Johnson should sue Pitt for his unconditional release.
Now the story has gone public and Pitt is in a giant conundrum over telling one of its graduates what he can and cannot do with his career. Pitt has blocked Johnson from going to a school within the ACC without sitting out a year and losing one of the two seasons of eligibility he has remaining. Johnson was sidelined with a medical red-shirt as a freshman and then graduated in three years.
Pitt is keeping Johnson from transferring to North Carolina, which is apparently his top choice. Since the news has leaked out about the restriction, the national media has jumped all over the story. So has Jay Bilas, an attorney, weighing in with his legal opinion.
Pitt coach Kevin Stallings, who went 16-17 in his first season with the Panthers after breaking his contract at Vanderbilt and leaving, is good friends with Roy Williams and was UNC assistant Brad Frederick’s boss for 14 years at Vandy. It may be new Pitt Athletic Director Heather Lyke, who did not hire Stallings, trying to prove she’s a tough boss and doesn’t want a former player in a Tar Heel uniform when Carolina plays Pitt this coming season.
The whole thing is absurd. Besides the NCAA supposedly wanting what’s best for all of its student athletes, Pitt isn’t beating UNC with or without Johnson playing for the Heels. So how can Lyke even restrict a player who has already graduated from her school?
Sure, Johnson can go to UCLA, Arizona, Oregon, TCU or any of the other schools he’s visited, but he wants to enhance his career by playing for this blue blood and spend his last two seasons under Williams at Carolina. The Tar Heels want him to step into Justin Jackson’s position, and Johnson should be able to go where he wants unrestricted. Remember, it’s what is best for the student-athlete.
Now that the story is out, Pitt and Lyke will be under tremendous pressure to release Johnson unconditionally to all conferences and schools, including UNC. If not, Johnson should sue his alma mater this summer for that right. He would win in a quick decision, if Pitt doesn’t see the writing on the wall first and cave.
Photo via Todd Melet
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Not a good idea to encourage strife between Stallings and boss.
If Pitt doesn’t want to play against him, why doesnt Roy just agree to sit him out when they play the Heels? Seems like a simple enough solution.
It’s more of a punishment type of deal from Pitt. It’s like Pitt saying, if you want to stay in the ACC then you will play either you next 2 years with us or you will have to sit out a year.
I like this idea. Whether Johnson plays or not in a UNC and Pittsburgh matchup, I don’t think Pitt has any chance of winning the game. I think Pittsburgh could be missing a big opportunity in showing some class and supporting this young man’s wishes. This is not a thug player with a bad reputation. He is a 2 time Academic All American who graduated college in 3 years. Any future recruit could look at this refusal to release a high character student athlete as controlling and selfish on behalf of the school. Show some class Pittsburgh….Cameron Johnson has.
“Besides the NCAA supposedly wanting what’s best for all of its student athletes…” That’s intended as a joke, isn’t it? The only thing that the NCAA wants “what’s best” for is the NCAA. Any other assertion is preposterous.
I agree with Duncan. That would be a simple solution. He is a Graduate! He isn’t bound by Pitt anymore. He is free to do what he needs to do , to further develop himself for the NBA , and to have a chance to win another championship for UNC , and to experience what he could not in three years at Pitt. The athletic director is being unrealistic , and I hope Karma bites her and her athletic dept. totally unacceptable.
Nah, just force Pitt to sue to stop him from playing…