Men's basketball: Unlucky 13 for Trinity

There are rumblings from B.C. that the University of Victoria has filed a formal complaint after Trinity Western used an ineligible player in their 2-1 first-round playoff series win over the Vikes. The rule violation may cause TWU to forfeit the playoff series.

Some background is in order. The Canada West rules and regulations for men's basketball stipulate that playoff rosters "are frozen at 12 players for a play-off series." The Spartans, ranked 9th nationwide in the latest CIS poll and 8th in the latest RPI rankings, dressed 12 players in the first game last Thursday, and all 12 played. So far, so good.

Game 2 is where the fun starts. On Friday, Trinity dressed a new (13th) player among its 12 for that game. (See the list of names in the boxscores for Thursday and Friday.) This 13th player was not allowed to dress, under the rule quoted above, and was therefore ineligible to play in the three-game series.

A formal complaint has been made, sources say, with this ineligibility in mind. TWU head coach Scott Allen has apparently appealed that complaint and an official ruling is yet to come.

Now comes the speculation. Assuming the protest is upheld, what's the potential punishment?

There is recent precedent for requiring teams to forfeit games because of ineligible player use. Our Andrew Bucholtz wrote about this very issue back in October after the York men's soccer term forfeited four games in which Toronto FC's Andrea Lombardo appeared. Granted, using a professional player is a little more extreme than simply using another student-athlete when the original one is injured.

Although it's a relatively minor violation, it's difficult to see how Trinity can escape this one. The 12-player rule is right there in the regulations and you can bet that UVic will argue for a forfeit as strongly as they can. The games can't be easily replayed, after all.

More to come on this one.

UPDATE (8:55 pm ET): Looks like it's just a two-game suspension and some kind of a fine for Scott Allen. CTV in Vancouver is expected to address this briefly tonight.

ANOTHER UPDATE (9:16): Make that a $1000 fine, according to the media release.
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21 comments:

  1. Game 1 Trinity played:
    Brouwer
    Vaughan
    Verhoeff
    Banman
    Keegstra
    Doerksen
    Hurd
    Myers
    Hogg
    Froese
    Horner
    Vroom

    On Friday their lineup lists:
    Brouwer
    Vaughan
    Verhoeff
    Banman
    Keegstra
    Doerksen
    Hurd
    Myers
    Hogg
    Horner
    Demain
    Vroom

    Ryan Froese wasn't in the lineup. He played in Game 3 (and scored seven points), but Joe Vroom did not due to injury (IIRC, Kelcey Brade noted this on the broadcast)

    In Game 3 on Saturday, Trinity's roster lists:
    Brouwer
    Vaughan
    Verhoeff
    Banman
    Keegstra
    Doerksen
    Hurd
    Myers
    Hogg
    Froese
    Horner
    Demain

    If the rule is indeed that you have to start and end with the same 12 players, Trinity is dead to rights.

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  2. The rule is such that the rosters are frozen for the series. The 12 dressed players don't necessarily have to play; it just so happens that Trinity gave them all court time, making it easier to confirm the violation.

    But it's all academic now. Allen got a two-game suspension for this, according to two independent sources. (I'm not a journalist. I just play one on a blog.)

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  3. From what I have been told. Scott Allen has been suspended two games. The school has been fined an undisclosed amount.
    Also, I can confirm that Vroom missed game three because of an infection in his elbow due to an earlier injury.

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  4. Two game suspension for the coach and a $1,000 fine.

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  5. Here's the press release, via Mike Tucker at UVic:

    EDMONTON – The Canada West Universities Athletic Association (CWUAA) announces that, due to a basketball playoff roster eligibility violation, Trinity Western Spartans men’s head coach Scott Allen has been suspended for the Spartans’ next two games for “not following Canada West men’s basketball playing regulations," and the Trinity Western Athletics Department has been fined $1,000.

    Following last weekend’s series with the University of Victoria Athletics Department drew to Canada West’s attention that Trinity Western had not followed a playing regulation dealing with playoff rosters. A Canada West Complaints Committee supported Victoria’s allegation of a violation by Trinity Western.

    Conference rosters are frozen with up to 12 players used in opening game of a playoff series, and no new players may be added after declaration of a roster for Game One. In this case, a new player, not declared for Game One, was used in Games Two & Three, thus violating league playoff rules.

    As a result of this rules violation, the Complaints Committee deemed that Trinity Western men’s basketball head coach Scott Allen has been suspended two games for failing to follow Association rules.

    The Committee felt that Trinity Western University athletic administrators must share responsibility in this violation because there is an expectation that all personnel be familiar with bylaws, policies, procedures and playing regulations used by the CWUAA. The Committee deemed that both the head coach and administrators were negligent.

    Association policy dictates that suspended team personnel are not permitted anywhere inside the playing venue from one hour before the event begins until one hour after the completion of the event.

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  6. surprised they still get to play this weekend, but with Scott suspended for two they may as well have forfeited.

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  7. Why is there such a rule in the first place?
    I assume that during the regular season, a team can carry 13, dress 12, but are not bound to those same 12 throughout the season.
    Why should the post season be different?
    I'm just wondering what is the logic behind the rule.

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  8. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  9. Also wondering and would like to hear or understand the reasoning behind having this rule from CW rule makers(execs). Why punish a student athlete who has partcipated during the season and now being left off the roster during the playoffs. Doesn't make sense. If it's about money I can't see 1 or 2 players, at playoff time (assuming they get in) making a difference to the overall finances of universities. If so leave an assistant coach or 2 at home or 1 or 2 less trips for AD's during the year. Isn't it supposed to be about student athletes.

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  10. That's a good point, why the rule exists in the first place ... a few people have raised it over at Out of Left Field too.

    It's probably a budget thing, to hazard a guess.

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  11. If Allen's suspension really damages the Spartans' chances against UBC, I bet that UVic will be super-happy to hear that their protest helped another team advance.

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  12. I’m a long time passionate trinity fan and while I am glad the team did not have to forfeit the series, this incident definitely taints trinity’s reputation and unfortunately draws attention away from the players who have done an amazing job this year. What happened was a big mistake, and I fully agree that Scott & the AD Murry Hall should be held responsible (the players had nothing to do with this error and should be left out of it). Scott has been dicking around with the team all season especially with pulling Damian in and out of the lineup when the kid should clearly be starting if not coming off the bench regularly, so Scott was bound to get burned eventually for his reckless ‘high school’ coaching style. While I personally agree that the punishment handed down was too soft, the punishment is in accordance with the punishment regulations of Canada West, and there is nothing that can be done now. I guess what really gets to me is that there is an issue here anyway. Trinity dressed and played 12 players (albeit one player different each game) in each of the 3 games which is perfectly in accordance with CIS championship rules, and the rules/regulations of all other divisions in the CIS. As far as I can tell, and I have looked at all the other division’s specific rules and regulations, Canada West is the only one with such a playoff roster freeze rule. While trinity broke the rule and should be punished, it is a stupid rule and should be changed if CIS basketball ever hopes to be more than a bush league.
    My question now to you readers out there is: if trinity beats UBC legitimately (and I realize that this is a big if – but trinity has beaten UBC before without a coach – Jan 10th 2004) does such a victory remove some of the tarnish and legitimize their place in the Canada West final four?

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  13. My humble honest feeling is there is a difference between tarnished as a program/school and what the players do on the floor.

    Short answer, though, is yes. Beating UBC would be no small feat, especially without the coach present.

    As you say, Trinity as a program and athletic department is probably diminished in some eyes. Having good players and operating with the highest standards are not one and the same.

    As a team, they pretty much got in legitimately. Demian had limited impact on the game. Heck, maybe if Vroom was in there for the whole series, they win by more in Game 3. We'll never know.

    Rob raises a good point that their punishment could help out UBC.

    Perhaps this all comes out in the wash, save for Victoria feeling burned. UBC is going to be in the Canada West Final Four either as Pacific champ or the wild card. Since 2 teams from the same division can't meet in the semis, they likely face the Great Plains champ in either scenario. (This presumes a Calgary win over Alberta, although you don't count out a Don Horwood team.)

    Again, I'm glad people did raise the point about what the rule is intended to accomplish. The irony is a team can play up to eight playoff games in Canada West, as opposed to a max of four in the OUA, six in the Q and three in the AUS, but only they have a roster freeze.

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  14. The roster freeze applies only to each series, Neate. Trinity is not tied to the 12-player roster from last weekend when they play UBC.

    Another problem with the rule: say you have an injury after the first game of a series, a game you lost. Is it worth it to put in a new player for the next game, knowing you'll only be charged $1000 and two games, if it means you have a better chance of moving on?

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  15. I humbly stand corrected, Rob (I didn't read it close enough, obviously; too much caffeine today). Like you say, it does seem like someone could do the the cost-benefit of a fine vs. extending your season. That is a slippery slope.

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  16. They should either get rid of the rule all together like everyone else or amend it so that you freeze the roster but in the event that a player gets injured you can replace them the next night with another eligible player.

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  17. If TWUFAN is correct & pointed out, why is this playoff roster freeze rule in place only in (CWUAA) and not in the rest of the CIS divisions? To me just a recipe asking for something like this to happen. What just to be different? Why doesn't the (CWUAA)just use FIBA rules during the regular season and go to to american college rules for playoff games just to make it more interesting/confusing! They should be looking at themselves as well.
    Also I don't understand with calling Allen's coaching 'high school coaching style'. What does he do that's so different than UVIc's Beauchamp, UBC's Hanson or Calgary's Vanhooren or other Univ coaches? See Brett Leversage's minutes this year. What do you call what Hanson's doing with that? Beauchamp also has promised players time and didn't deliver woefully.

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  18. In response to anonymous, perhaps 'high school coaching style' was partly a low jab at Allen's inexperience that got TWU into this mess, and for that I apologize, but in many ways i think it best describes the way he likes to coach his team (and before i go any further I just want to clarify that he is a good/ talented coach even if i don't necessarily like his particular style) Looking at how coaches share the minutes is one thing, and I know Hansen and others like to use deep benches, but if you watch Allen and they way he is constantly subing players in and out, it at many times seems as if you are watching a high school game and I know I am not the only one who feels this way. On top of the substitutions, Allen runs his offense like a football coach calling every play. If you are not one of the favorite 3 (Brian, Jacob, Jamie) and you don't follow the play to the letter it seems as if you risk getting pulled at the next possible opportunity. Its a style that in my opinion breeds fear on the bench, and stifles offensive creativity. These players are not in high school anymore and as much as they need a coach, they do not need someone to hold their hand on every play. TWU has a lot of talent and experience on the team, and in my opinion it has been mismanaged by Allen's coaching style. Yes they have won and Allen deserves a lot of credit for the success, but many of there games were very close and as a fan watching the majority of their games this season, I have felt like his 'high school' coaching style has handcuffed TWU's offensive potential. Perhaps without Allen they will be free to show that talent this weekend against UBC. One would also hope that come this weekend without Allen, someone like Jon Schmidt will be at the helm instead of the inexperienced TWU assistant coaches. Maybe then we will see a good old fashion shootout at WAR this weekend.

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  19. The rule is pretty common across CW sports, for both regular season and playoff series, as I recall.

    It was in place in my women's hockey days several years ago.

    It's a budget thing. Departments don't want to have to pay for flights (and CW flies more than all other leagues combined) for extra players.

    Out of fairness, the rule applies whether it's TWU and UVic playing each other or UBC and Manitoba.

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  20. WHY was the thirteenth man even dressed. It was not the mistake of a junior coach. I would assume if a player is dressed he is expecting to play. WHO told him to dress? As soon as he was dressed there was a violation! Trinity should have had to forfeit the third game for having dressed a player that was not on the roster.

    The minor officials should have brought the infraction to the attention of the refs.

    I am disappointed that blatant disregard for the rules does not receive a more strict penalty

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  21. Those are good questions. Perhaps the scorekeepers just didn't know, like a lot of us six days ago. No excuse, though.

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