Paperwork Snafu Lands Ibrahim on Bench
Sani Ibrahim hasn't yet played a game this winter for Gulf Coast C.C. of Florida, but it was nothing of his own doing.
JUCO Junction recently caught up with GCCC Head Coach Jim Hatfield, and he cleared up the reason why his 6-10 Nigerian big man isn't eligible yet for the Commodores.
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"It's no real problem, just a paper snafu," Hatfield explained. "We think that the paperwork should be completed by now."
Last week, a source alerted JUCO Junction that Ibrahim didn't dress for Gulf Coast's first two home games in Panama City, Fla. At first, we thought it might have had something to do with Ibrahim not getting a release from the College of Southern Idaho.
But that's not the case, Hatfield said.
"We had sumbitted some stuff to the NJCAA in faxes and copies, but what they needed was the original paperwork," he elaborated. "Sani received a release from Southern Idaho."
This past weekend, Gulf Coast played at the South Georgia Tech tournament in Americus, Ga. Ibrahim wasn't able to play, but Hatfield expects him to possibly be in the lineup by Nov. 21 when the Commodores travel to Georgia Perimeter College for a tournament.
Everything will be contingent on the NJCAA giving Ibrahim the green light to play.
"He's a heck of a kid," Hatfield said. "He wants to play bad, but he handles adversity well and works hard on the basketball court."
As for Ibrahim's recruitment, Hatfield has fielded calls from Cincinnati, Southern Mississippi and San Diego this fall. Previously, we mentioned that Alabama, Auburn and Florida State had expressed interest in Ibrahim.
"A lot of those teams have inquired, but they are taking a wait and see attitude," Hatfield said. "He'll have the hours to graduate, and could graduate by the summer, but his goal is to be in the NBA."
Several NBA teams are coming in this winter to evaluate Ibrahim. The Mavericks are one of a handful of teams that have contacted Hatfield regarding Ibrahim.
After opening the season with victories over Brunswick (GA) and Monroe (Bronx, NY), the Commodores dropped a pair of games to South Georgia Tech and Abraham Baldwin Ag College this past weekend.
JUCO Junction plans on catching Ibrahim in action again later this winter, and we will keep you posted on his situation as the basketball season unfolds.