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Baylor forward Royce O’Neale granted immediate eligibility

Royce O'Neale, D.J. Cooper

Denver forward Royce O’Neale, front, goes up for a shot past Ohio guard D.J. Cooper in the first half of a first-round NIT college basketball game basketball in Denver on Tuesday, March 19, 2013. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

AP

Back in May 6-foot-5 forward Royce O’Neale requested to be released from his scholarship by Denver University, with the health of a relative back in Texas (O’Neale hails from Killeen) being the reason cited as to why. The school granted his request and O’Neale ultimately landed at Baylor, where he joined one of the nation’s deepest front court rotations.

The next question was whether or not the junior would be able to help the Bears during games this season, and on Thursday afternoon the program provided the answer. O’Neale’s request for an immediate eligibility waiver was granted by the NCAA, giving Baylor another wing to call upon as they look to compete with Kansas and Oklahoma State at the top of the the Big 12.

O’Neale, who averaged 11.2 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game as a sophomore at Denver last season, has two years of eligibility remaining. He joins a rotation at the small forward position that includes sophomore Taurean Prince and highly-touted freshman Ishmail Wainright.

O’Neale’s versatility will be an asset for Baylor head coach Scott Drew, as he’s a capable scorer, rebounder and distributor.

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