Ater Majok Withdraws from University of Connecticut

Ater Majok is officially not part of the University of Connecticut men's basketball program.  His departure comes at a time when UConn is preparing to make its case against the allegations and violations that the NCAA has put forth. 

This is a critical period for the Huskies basketball team. 

UConn basketball is trying to recover from a terrible, underachieving year last season.  Now Ater Majok, who many thought would be a starter and impact player this season, is abruptly gone.

No one knows if Matok's decision to leave is linked to the NCAA's investigation of UConn, but it has to be more than just coincidence, especially when Majok said over the summer that UConn was where he wanted to remain.  Now, he is going back to Australia where he may play professionally.

And recently, a recruit named Angelo Chol tweeted about the possibility that UConn will lose scholarships for next season.  Just remember, that is all hearsay; nothing is final until the NCAA sanctions are announced.

This is not the type of publicity the UConn men's program needs right now, after firing assistant coach Pat Sellers and Beau Archibald in the spring.  There are rules of compliance that the NCAA puts forth and UConn broke those rules.

Nobody knows how the NCAA is going to penalize UConn.  The penalty could be a slap on the wrist, such as probation or the loss of a couple of scholarships. It could also be more severe such as long-term probation, the loss of multiple scholarships, or a restriction on recruiting time.

The worst-case scenario here would be a postseason ban, which would be devastating to this UConn team led by guard Kemba Walker, who is one of the elite guards in the country. 

The big question mark with this possibility is how Majok factors into the equation.

Nate Miles was involved with agent Josh Nochimson, breaking NCAA rules, but he never played a game in Storrs.  He was expelled from the University after a sexual assault charge ruined his collegiate career.

Ater Majok is a different story. 

It took the Huskies three years to get him here, and then it was a big enough hassle getting him academically eligible.  Majok never seemed to be a favorite of Coach Jim Calhoun, not surprisingly since he only scored 59 points the entire second half of the season.

He consistently missed open jump shots, got out-rebounded, and always picked up fouls.  Majok was getting better, but now his collegiate career is over before it really began.  The 23-year-old freshman is now stuck in a bind.

Majok never seemed quite right here at UConn, and now he has withdrawn from UConn not even a year since he became eligible to play basketball.

Recruiting violations?  Who knows? 

UConn men's basketball has a lot of questions to answer.  The athletic department still has to make their case to the NCAA. If they are unsuccessful, then the hammer could be dropped on this team.

It should be an interesting couple of months, before the 2010 college basketball season even begins.