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Transfer Watson academically ineligible at Wichita State

Louisville v Wichita State

ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 06: Head coach Gregg Marshall of the Wichita State Shockers coaches as his players look on from the bench in the first half against the Louisville Cardinals during the 2013 NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinal at the Georgia Dome on April 6, 2013 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Following a surprise Final Four run, there’s little doubt that Gregg Marshall and Wichita State are pulling in better players than the school has seen since Xavier McDaniel and Antoine Carr toed the stripe on campus.

With big-time recruits come big-time headaches, it seems. Marshall had 6'7", 240-lb. juco transfer Earl Watson schedule to join the team next season, but Marshall told the Wichita Eagle on Thursday that the beefy forward would not, in fact, be making the trip.

Marshall texted beat writer Paul Suellentrop that Watson “did not get done all he needed to in order to be admitted at this time.”

Pressed for details, Marshall said “There’s an academic class he’s got to finish up to have the number of hours to be admissible to school.”

It’s not great news, nor is it the worst, as Suellentrop points out:

Had Watson qualified, WSU would have been one scholarship over the NCAA limit of 13. WSU’s front line, missing departed seniors Carl Hall and Ehimen Orukpe, will rebuild with 6-9 seniors Kadeem Coleby and Chadrack Lufile, 6-8 senior Cleanthony Early, 6-7 junior Darius Carter and 6-8 freshman Shaq Morris.

Watson would have been a nice fill-in for the toughness and experience lost when Hall graduated, but Early’s leadership and a good-sized front line ensure that the Shockers will be a MVC favorite yet again this season.

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