The NCAA learned a lesson with SMU: Don't trust teams with injury reports, as BJ Edwards saga proved

The speech surrounding the wellness of SMU defender B.J. Edwards led to plentifulness of outrage connected Wednesday nighttime earlier the Mustangs had adjacent started their crippled against Miami (OH). 

For 2 days starring up to ‘Selection Sunday’, the wounded presumption of Edwards was a talking constituent arsenic to whether SMU deserved to beryllium successful the field. On paper, definite its resume' looked similar a squad that would beryllium worthy of hopping disconnected the bubble and into the ‘first four’. 

But, with the comments from NCAA Selection Committee chair, Keith Gill, the outrage seemed to instrumentality connected a beingness of its ain pursuing the Mustangs' 89-79 nonaccomplishment to the RedHawks. 

What was the deciding origin for SMU to marque the field? 

"One of their important players, (BJ) Edwards, mislaid 5 of six of those games," NCAA enactment committee seat Keith Gill said astir SMU. "He's coming back. He's the 3rd starring scorer, antiaircraft player. And so, the prime of wins and evidently them getting backmost to afloat spot allowed them to benignant of get that past spot."

Did SMU Mislead The NCAA? B.J. Edwards Not Playing Against Miami (OH) Raises Ethics Concerns

Ok, truthful they trusted a schoolhouse that was connected the bubble to springiness close accusation connected a player's availability with a spot successful the tourney connected the line. 

Sorry, NCAA, that's connected you. Just making the tourney is simply a fiscal summation for the Mustangs, and possibly they really did deliberation Edwards would beryllium disposable for the opening crippled against Miami (OH). 

Did SMU Lie Its Way Into NCAA Tournament With Health Status Of BJ Edwards? They Might've Fooled Committee (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Maybe The NCAA Learned A Lesson With SMU

The occupation was that determination was zero warrant that helium would play. Even with SMU putting retired a connection connected societal media and letting committee members cognize that it ‘expected’ B.J. Edwards to play successful the opener, you can't spot the schools to beryllium 100 percent truthful astir a player's health, until they are forced to. 

So, erstwhile the last wounded study came retired 2 hours earlier the crippled connected Wednesday nighttime and Edwards was listed arsenic ‘out’, it was questionable whether SMU had played the system. 

Following the 89-79 loss, SMU caput manager Andy Enfield was asked astir the events starring up to Edwards not taking the court. 

"He looked truly bully successful signifier today, past mates days, helium changeable the shot well," Enfield said pursuing the loss. "He's moving well, but I deliberation there's a happening called crippled readiness, and helium conscionable didn't consciousness similar helium was rather crippled ready. He said, 'I could decidedly play connected Friday, if we triumph this game,' decidedly going to play connected Friday, but conscionable not rather crippled ready.

"Really, that was astir apt a time short."

OutKick spoke with 1 Power-4 caput manager connected Thursday morning, who had this to accidental astir the ordeal. 

"I'm definite the Edwards kid had the volition of playing. But, if you're relying connected the schoolhouse to springiness you afloat transparency with a spot successful the tourney connected the line, it's connected the NCAA for relaying the connection that this was a main crushed arsenic to wherefore they got in. What's SMU expected to say? They weren't going to connote that he'd beryllium acceptable by the 2nd game, but not the first.

"If that were the case, it didn't dependable arsenic if the NCAA would person enactment them in."

Either way, hopefully the NCAA learned a acquisition from this ordeal. 

And adjacent time, I'd ideate the enactment committee won't spot an availability study for a squad connected the bubble, oregon a squad looking to summation its seeding successful the tournament.