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 Longing for Lamar Odom wants to return to school; URI preparing appeal
Posted: Thursday June 17, 1999 04:42 PM
SOUTH KINGSTOWN, R.I. (AP) -- Lamar Odom wants out of the NBA Draft so he can return to play for Rhode Island next season. John Vanner, Rhode Island's assistant athletic director, confirmed Odom's decision today, but added, "I don't know why he changed his mind." The school is preparing an appeal to the NCAA to request that former college basketball star Lamar Odom be allowed to return to the school. "We're trying to find out what we can do, what he's [Odom] done already, and where we can go from here,' URI Athletic Director Ron Petro told The Providence Journal. Odom, a likely early pick in the June 30 NBA Draft, announced three weeks ago he was turning pro and signed with New York City-based agent Jeff Klein. URI needs to put together an appeal because NCAA rules bar anyone who has signed with an agent from playing college ball. The likelihood of the NCAA granting the waiver for Odom to play college ball is deemed a long shot by people familiar with the process. If the waiver is granted, Odom could remove his name from the NBA Draft by the June 23 deadline and return to school. Odom's availability in the draft was questioned after he skipped a league-wide physical in Chicago last weekend and canceled a workout with the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday. He turned up on Rhode Island's campus Sunday. Hornets vice president Bob Bass said he thought Odom wanted to return to school, but didn't see how he could after signing with an agent. Odom, who averaged 17.6 points and 9.4 rebounds last season, was having problems with Klein and is looking for a new agent. Stu Jackson, president and general manager of the Vancouver Grizzlies - the only team with which Odom has worked out - said Klein told him Wednesday he had resigned as Odom's representative. Under NCAA procedure for an appeal, URI would have to submit a request to the enforcement staff and its student-athlete reinstatement committee. The committee would then decide whether or not to grant Odom a waiver. The fact that Odom currently does not have representation doesn't erase the fact that he signed with Klein, said Bill Saum, the NCAA's director of Agent and Gambling activities. "If an individual signs with an agent, they are ineligible," said Saum, who stressed he was speaking in general terms and not about Odom's case. "If there are mitigating circumstances, they are examined." The NCAA has granted waivers before to athletes who've had dealings with agents, but the penalties are often stiff. Three years ago, the University of Connecticut lost forward Kirkland King for the final 19 games of his senior season after he accepted a plane ticket from an agent.
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