Antetokounmpo’s eligibility was in question when the Wisconsin Basketball Yearbook reported he would likely miss this season because of a NCAA ruling. Dayton coach Archie Miller would not comment on that report. According to a source, UD appealed the NCAA ruling. Athletes who take classes overseas — Antetokounmpo went to high school for his first two years in Greece — often run into problems with the NCAA Clearinghouse.
Duane “Ike” Wilson, who coached Antetokounmpo with Wisconsin Playground Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit, said he thought Antetokounmpo’s quest to become eligible “would be close” and that he was probably missing one or two classes because he started his schooling in Greece.
“It’s all the NCAA,” Wilson said. “It’s nothing he did. He’s a great kid. He’s done everything he’s supposed to do. He was working hard.”
Wilson said he would tell Antetokounmpo to keep his head up over the next year.
“I think it’ll be a good thing for him,” Wilson said. “He’s still learning. There’s no saying how many minutes he was going to play this season, but I think he was ready to play.”
Miller would not comment Sunday but said he would talk about the situation on Tuesday when Dayton is holding a media day in advance of the team’s first official practice, which will be Oct. 10.
Dayton went through a similar situation two years ago with Steve McElvene. The late UD center was ruled a partial qualifier on Sept. 26, 2014, weeks after arriving on campus. He was able to practice all season.
Antetokounmpo, the brother of Milwaukee Bucks starter Giannis Antetokounmpo, who signed a four-year, $100-million contract extension in September, signed with Dayton in June. He played with Greece’s Under-20 national team in the summer and arrived at UD the day before classes began in August.
Antetokounmpo is one of two members in Dayton’s class of 2016. Guard Trey Landers, of Wayne High School, is the other. Antetokounmpo ranked 89th in the class of 2016, according to Rivals.com. He averaged 12.9 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.4 blocks a game as a senior.
Without Antetokounmpo, the Flyers will enter the season with 11 scholarship players available. Teams get 13 scholarships, and UD left one scholarship open for this season.
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