NCAA Looking Into Recruitment of Nerlens Noel

There was quite the buzz in the college basketball world last night when Pete Thamel released a story regarding Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel.

According to the story, the NCAA sent two members of their staff to Noel’s former high school in Massachusetts to inquire about a few topics of interest.

Here’s a snippet about the NCAA’s inquiry:

"A person who has been briefed on the N.C.A.A.’s inquiry said the topics officials were planning on inquiring about included Noel’s relationship with Chris Driscoll, a former Providence assistant who is close to Noel. Driscoll was barred this year from campus at the Tilton School, the New Hampshire boarding school where Noel has spent the past two years and is completing his final year of high school."

However, that’s not all. According to Thamel, there’s a few other reasons for the NCAA’s visit.

They are reportedly also looking into his relationship with one of Noel’s advisors, Errol Randolph. There is also mention of the NCAA looking into how unofficial visits to Louisville and Kentucky were paid for.

Now, before everyone starts mentioning the name “John Calipari” with this story, keep in mind that there is no mention of Calipari in this piece.

Nowhere does it say that the NCAA is looking into Kentucky’s recruitment of Noel. So, let’s not blow everything out of proportion just yet.

It would surprise me more if the NCAA wasn’t looking into Noel’s past and recruitment given Noel’s high profile as the top recruit in the country. It only makes sense for them to inquire about any questions that they have concerning a few of the people that have crossed paths with Noel.

But again, there is simply no reason to rush to judgment just yet. These types of inquiries are made all the time.

And at this point, that’s all it is. An inquiry.