A little new light on this subject....

http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketbal...television

"Sean Kowal led Northern Illinois in rebounding as a junior this past season, and after recently graduating from the school, he left the team with the intention of attending another school to pursue a master's degree in theology since NIU doesn't offer the program.

The 6-foot-11 center also wants to use his senior year of eligibility to play on scholarship for his new school so as to offset the costs of obtaining the master's. Unfortunately for Kowal, NIU is refusing to release him from his scholarship to any of the unspecified schools he requested."

Make sure you watch the interview linked in the article. He seems real sincere about his past relationships with Patton and Compher. We look real bad in this. Is there more to the story? Compher is identified in error as coach on the TV interview.

Oh this just keeps getting better and better. Just let the kid out of his scholly and let him attend another school already . . . . I don't see him going to Toledo or Buffalo to get his Masters in Theology.

Atta boy Ricardo.

(07-29-2010 06:21 PM)7 Wrote:  Atta boy Ricardo.

Is it customary to just release players from scholarships? I personally think its bad example to set.

Maybe I am kind of an ass hole about this.....

but....

We did give him 3 years of free school. I don't know, I guess he did give us 3 years in return, but it would hurt us a lot if he left (not that we are going anywhere anyway) ... I don't know...

His comment "I'd prefer not to spend the next 25 years paying off student loans" ... lol, join the club? Education doesn't come free usually.

(07-29-2010 07:00 PM)Huskiefan38 Wrote:  Maybe I am kind of an *** hole about this.....

but....

We did give him 3 years of free school. I don't know, I guess he did give us 3 years in return, but it would hurt us a lot if he left (not that we are going anywhere anyway) ... I don't know...

His comment "I'd prefer not to spend the next 25 years paying off student loans" ... lol, join the club? Education doesn't come free usually.

Nah you are not being an ***hole, Kowal needs to grow up honestly. Fair to say, he is a huge disappointment.

Wow.

(07-29-2010 06:52 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  Is it customary to just release players from scholarships? I personally think its bad example to set.

Yes, players are usually released from their scholarships if they ask, sometimes dependent on conditions like what schools they end up at. There are exceptions, but usually schools will let the kids go, especially in a case like this where Kowal can't get his masters in the field he wants because NIU doesn't even offer it.

There may be more to the story (I'm going to guess there is), but NIU doesn't come off looking real good. They may have a good reason for doing what they're doing, but in a profession where perception is one of the most important assets a coaching staff/school have, this isn't a real good thing for NIU.

Sometimes in the org that signs my paycheck many decisions are made which seemingly blow my mind in a given moment and only to learn later why it may make more sense.

Please let that be the case with Kowal and NIU.

nine times outta ten I go with the little guy in most conflicts - if 6'10" is LITTLE he gets my support.

Most orgs have a way of screwing over members once valued then easily replaceable - so the chant goes- and are often viewed as simply pawns on the gameboard of life.

Loyalty vanished in the workplace years ago and its become a two way street on campuses as well.

(07-29-2010 07:33 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(07-29-2010 07:00 PM)Huskiefan38 Wrote:  Maybe I am kind of an *** hole about this.....

but....

We did give him 3 years of free school. I don't know, I guess he did give us 3 years in return, but it would hurt us a lot if he left (not that we are going anywhere anyway) ... I don't know...

His comment "I'd prefer not to spend the next 25 years paying off student loans" ... lol, join the club? Education doesn't come free usually.

Nah you are not being an ***hole, Kowal needs to grow up honestly. Fair to say, he is a huge disappointment.

give me an f'ing break....let the guy pursue his education, and just cut the damn ties.

i could be wrong, but aren't schools allowed to reevaluate schollies every year for each player? why can't the player have the same mutual power of decision?

He wants to go to a school to get a degree he can't get at NIU. Let him out of the scholarship.

Here's a simple question, give me one good reason why NIU won't give him his release? One good reason. He wants to finish out his playing eligibility at a school where he can get the degree of his choice? What is NIU gaining by not granting him his release?

There's really no way to defend this.

If we buy the line that the most important part of being a student-athlete is the student part, how is this defensible?

Ricardo needs to leave NOW and Compher should split the cab fare. This is ridiculous.

I think the big question is what school does Kowal want to attend? If he is going to North Park University on the northside of Chicago, release him. But if he is going to another D-1 BB school I would not. I think this is probably the case and the reason NIU did not release him. A lot of D-1 programs would take him for one year being a graduated fifth year senior at 6'11" that does not have to sit out a year. He probably found one that has an open scholarship and sees it as greener pastures in his last playing year in college. I think it does set a bad precedent especially at the mid-major level. NIU was there when he needed them three years ago when Colorado did not want him. I know coaches can run off kids and that is not fair but they did get free school while on scholarship and the coach can get fired so if he made a mistake he is just trying to make his team better at least in his mind. I would expect that he is trying to go to a college in a better conference and a better team than NIU currently. I really believe he will be overseas playing BB in a year regardless of where he plays next year.

(07-29-2010 07:00 PM)Huskiefan38 Wrote:  Maybe I am kind of an *** hole about this.....

but....

We did give him 3 years of free school. I don't know, I guess he did give us 3 years in return, but it would hurt us a lot if he left (not that we are going anywhere anyway) ... I don't know...

His comment "I'd prefer not to spend the next 25 years paying off student loans" ... lol, join the club? Education doesn't come free usually.

(07-29-2010 09:36 PM)huskiealum03 Wrote:  

(07-29-2010 07:33 PM)MaddDawgz02 Wrote:  

(07-29-2010 07:00 PM)Huskiefan38 Wrote:  Maybe I am kind of an *** hole about this.....

but....

We did give him 3 years of free school. I don't know, I guess he did give us 3 years in return, but it would hurt us a lot if he left (not that we are going anywhere anyway) ... I don't know...

His comment "I'd prefer not to spend the next 25 years paying off student loans" ... lol, join the club? Education doesn't come free usually.

Nah you are not being an ***hole, Kowal needs to grow up honestly. Fair to say, he is a huge disappointment.

give me an f'ing break....let the guy pursue his education, and just cut the damn ties.

i could be wrong, but aren't schools allowed to reevaluate schollies every year for each player? why can't the player have the same mutual power of decision?

BINGO!....100% agree.

(07-29-2010 10:28 PM)huskie87fan Wrote:  I think the big question is what school does Kowal want to attend? If he is going to North Park University on the northside of Chicago, release him. But if he is going to another D-1 BB school I would not. I think this is probably the case and the reason NIU did not release him. A lot of D-1 programs would take him for one year being a graduated fifth year senior at 6'11" that does not have to sit out a year. He probably found one that has an open scholarship and sees it as greener pastures in his last playing year in college. I think it does set a bad precedent especially at the mid-major level. NIU was there when he needed them three years ago when Colorado did not want him. I know coaches can run off kids and that is not fair but they did get free school while on scholarship and the coach can get fired so if he made a mistake he is just trying to make his team better at least in his mind. I would expect that he is trying to go to a college in a better conference and a better team than NIU currently. I really believe he will be overseas playing BB in a year regardless of where he plays next year.

Division I players are routinely released from scholarships to transfer to other schools for a number of various reasons. The "bad precedent" (which I don't agree with at all) has already been set. And it's not exactly like there haven't been transfers in/out of the NIU program like crazy recently.

As I said before, I'm sure there's more to the story, but considering NIU doesn't even off a Masters in his field of study, at least on the surface his request seems reasonable. And that perception is going to really hurt NIU in the press and on the recruiting trail.

Again, it matters where he wants to head to college? Why did it just come out right now that he wants to get his Masters in Theology? He has known that he was graduating for the last year. Did he ever say that he was going to get his Masters in Theology before playing BB overseas? It has to be to a D-1 school in a better conference or NIU would not be putting up a fight. If he is going to a lower level they would have let him go. It could set a precedent because in the future, we might lose football and basketball players who might have redshirted and then graduate in four years and then find them looking to play their last year in a BCS conference. I think Silas has graduated. He could find a Masters program that NIU does not have and bolt as well if he found a taker and he would. Heck, Anderson and DiNunno found homes.
I do not like coaches running off kids but they do get a free education while on scholarship and one can look at it as real life. How many workers (student-athletes) get fired from jobs every day by their boss (head coach). The worker bounces back and they usually end up better off. Anderson is going to play his last year in the Big 12 and Dinunno is going to a team that went to the Dance. I think NIU is the little guy in this case because they are the ones getting stepped on by the better conference school that is willing to offer Kowal a scholarship for a year so he can go to greener pastures next year.

(07-29-2010 11:00 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  Division I players are routinely released from scholarships to transfer to other schools for a number of various reasons. The "bad precedent" (which I don't agree with at all) has already been set. And it's not exactly like there haven't been transfers in/out of the NIU program like crazy recently.

As I said before, I'm sure there's more to the story, but considering NIU doesn't even off a Masters in his field of study, at least on the surface his request seems reasonable. And that perception is going to really hurt NIU in the press and on the recruiting trail.

Along the lines of Huskie87fans comments, do we play Loyola this coming year? Maybe he was planning on attending Loyola? While I think that we should let him go, you have to wonder if he is planning on attending a team we play this year. If this is the case, I can understand why they don't want to let him go.

(07-29-2010 11:36 PM)huskie87fan Wrote:  Again, it matters where he wants to head to college? Why did it just come out right now that he wants to get his Masters in Theology? He has known that he was graduating for the last year. Did he ever say that he was going to get his Masters in Theology before playing BB overseas? It has to be to a D-1 school in a better conference or NIU would not be putting up a fight. If he is going to a lower level they would have let him go. It could set a precedent because in the future, we might lose football and basketball players who might have redshirted and then graduate in four years and then find them looking to play their last year in a BCS conference. I think Silas has graduated. He could find a Masters program that NIU does not have and bolt as well if he found a taker and he would. Heck, Anderson and DiNunno found homes.
I do not like coaches running off kids but they do get a free education while on scholarship and one can look at it as real life. How many workers (student-athletes) get fired from jobs every day by their boss (head coach). The worker bounces back and they usually end up better off. Anderson is going to play his last year in the Big 12 and Dinunno is going to a team that went to the Dance. I think NIU is the little guy in this case because they are the ones getting stepped on by the better conference school that is willing to offer Kowal a scholarship for a year so he can go to greener pastures next year.

(07-29-2010 11:00 PM)UIHuskie Wrote:  Division I players are routinely released from scholarships to transfer to other schools for a number of various reasons. The "bad precedent" (which I don't agree with at all) has already been set. And it's not exactly like there haven't been transfers in/out of the NIU program like crazy recently.

As I said before, I'm sure there's more to the story, but considering NIU doesn't even off a Masters in his field of study, at least on the surface his request seems reasonable. And that perception is going to really hurt NIU in the press and on the recruiting trail.

Woah, woah, woah, woah. Anderson and DiNunno didn't ask to be released from their scholarships, Patton pretty much cut them both, especially Anderson. Don't try to make NIU look sympathetic here, because it's impossible.

NIU could easily put restrictions on where Kowal can go. Just say he can't go to a team on the schedule next year. Pretty easy.

When I look at Ricardo Patton and his action and reaction to our former athletes, it looks like a train wreck. Worst....hire....ever.

(07-30-2010 06:05 AM)thetachihuskie Wrote:  When I look at Ricardo Patton and his action and reaction to our former athletes, it looks like a train wreck. Worst....hire....ever.

No worse than the hiring of Charlie Sadler or Emory Luck. This isn't our first train wreck.

OK, Dave I shall put him in the finals with the other 2 guys!

I'm curious how his teammates feel. Sympathetic or jilted?

Not that it's all that germaine but yet an interesting question with no definative anwsers ever likely to be learned.

Probably a mixed bag depending upon who you asked and how close or not they were with Kowal off court.

I'm willing to bet Ricardo and the staff are bitter about the timing of his decision, which is understandable. It hurts their depth and they don't have time to scramble for a decent replacement.

Despite that, they should let him go. It just seems like the right thing to do.

How many times recently have we seen a questionable major decision involving the basketball program and hoped that later there would be a good explanation for it? Far too many. The Grim Reaper looms.

Who cares if Kowal were to transfer to a school on NIU's schedule? With or without Kowal, they'd probabably beat NIU anyway.

There is no good reason to deny letting the kid go. Letting him go would have prevented this further negative publicity, which NIU certainly does NOT need.

If legally able to do so, I hope NIU quickly makes its case through the media now too.
Mr. Kowal has made the decision to air this disagreement publicy. In fairness, NIU should have the ability to respond and in my view should do so promptly.

Also, would it not be fair to hear from both sides before making a conclusion?

NIU does an incredible job of creating negative press, and a pretty damn terrible job of creating positive press. Let the kid go.

I didn't live through the Sadler or Luck tenures but this Patton hire has turned into one of the worst I've seen at any level.

This is just my two cents. Kowal is full of s**t. If someone is going for a masters degree in theology, they usually want to become a minister or priest, etc. Most religious denominations would pay for their education. He would not have to worry about education bills. It sounds to me like he wants to use that as a pretense to move to a better school and NIU would have no part of it.

It's funny how he has not made his career path public (religious vocation) because if that was his plan, he would be called on it (paid tuition). It sounds like he wants to go to a better school for a year and then to Europe.

wow kevin, what a skeptic....you don't really believe someone would "use" theology as way to circumvent the transfer rule? so if NIU had a major in theology, he would have stayed? that is so sad for the poor boy--all he wants to do is preach....and meanie NIU won't let him out of his servitude in basketball to pray with the masses. maybe i am a cynic, too, but what are the odds that a Catholic University is helping him "choose" a major NIU doesn't have just so he will be eligible to help their true religion: Basketball?

Screw Kowal. Facts are that NIU helped set him up for a trip to play in China this summer. Before he left, he was all up to play for NIU. When he gets back he's suddenly into theology. He's from St. Louis, Majerus got in his ear or an agent did. Now he's all for transferring. NIU went through this with Kenny Battle and can't just be viewed as a stopover. I'm sick of these self-centered athletes who don't give a damn about their school.

I agree with cagy and Kevin.

Kowal is only telling part of the story so you are sympathetic to him.
In my mind Patton has done only one questionable thing (Anderson transfer) and has made some questionable comments but since most of the posters on this board cannot wait for him to get fired and think he is the bad guy in this case but I highly doubt it. Once the whole story comes out everyone will probably be talking how Kowal screwed over NIU. Your hate for Patton should have nothing to do with the facts in this case.

(07-30-2010 01:12 PM)huskie87fan Wrote:  I agree with cagy and Kevin.

Kowal is only telling part of the story so you are sympathetic to him.
In my mind Patton has done only one questionable thing (Anderson transfer) and has made some questionable comments but since most of the posters on this board cannot wait for him to get fired and think he is the bad guy in this case but I highly doubt it. Once the whole story comes out everyone will probably be talking how Kowal screwed over NIU. Your hate for Patton should have nothing to do with the facts in this case.

Then NIU should go public with their version of the facts and be done with it. By being silent, it looks like they are trying to hide or cover something up. It makes them look like the big bad villain. Since Kowal went public with his side, so should NIU.

(07-30-2010 01:19 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(07-30-2010 01:12 PM)huskie87fan Wrote:  I agree with cagy and Kevin.

Kowal is only telling part of the story so you are sympathetic to him.
In my mind Patton has done only one questionable thing (Anderson transfer) and has made some questionable comments but since most of the posters on this board cannot wait for him to get fired and think he is the bad guy in this case but I highly doubt it. Once the whole story comes out everyone will probably be talking how Kowal screwed over NIU. Your hate for Patton should have nothing to do with the facts in this case.

Then NIU should go public with their version of the facts and be done with it. By being silent, it looks like they are trying to hide or cover something up. It makes them look like the big bad villain. Since Kowal went public with his side, so should NIU.

Privacy laws prohibit this...

(07-30-2010 01:19 PM)Dog Fan Wrote:  

(07-30-2010 01:12 PM)huskie87fan Wrote:  I agree with cagy and Kevin.

Kowal is only telling part of the story so you are sympathetic to him.
In my mind Patton has done only one questionable thing (Anderson transfer) and has made some questionable comments but since most of the posters on this board cannot wait for him to get fired and think he is the bad guy in this case but I highly doubt it. Once the whole story comes out everyone will probably be talking how Kowal screwed over NIU. Your hate for Patton should have nothing to do with the facts in this case.

Then NIU should go public with their version of the facts and be done with it. By being silent, it looks like they are trying to hide or cover something up. It makes them look like the big bad villain. Since Kowal went public with his side, so should NIU.

Would NIU violate any privacy or NCAA rules by going public? If not they definitely should!

Thanks 66.

I spoke briefly late tonight with Sean Kowal as he was driving home from DeKalb to the St. Louis area and Kowal informed me that he was denied a release from his scholarship by a Northern Illinois University appeals committee on Wednesday.

"I had the hearing at 3 p.m. [Wednesday] and the outcome isn't what I had hoped for," said a disappointed Kowal.

NIU officials were meeting with lawyers on Wednesday night to determine whether or not releasing the results of the hearing or commenting on the hearing violated the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Kowal, who has one year of eligibility remaining, said Tuesday that he would not come back to NIU in the fall.

(07-30-2010 09:28 AM)armour248 Wrote:  NIU does an incredible job of creating negative press, and a pretty damn terrible job of creating positive press. Let the kid go.

I didn't live through the Sadler or Luck tenures but this Patton hire has turned into one of the worst I've seen at any level.

Sadler worst ever. End o' subject. If you disagree, go pound sand!

http://www.huskiewire.com/articles/2010/.../index.xml

Maybe I missed it, or I've had too many beers, but when did Fukuade leave?

(07-30-2010 11:42 PM)armour248 Wrote:  Maybe I missed it, or I've had too many beers, but when did Fukuade leave?

In the spring. He was a walk on and wasn't given a schollie, so he left.

Things have gotten so bad that I completely forgot about a decently productive player just walking away from the team because they couldn't scholarship him haha

(07-31-2010 10:52 AM)armour248 Wrote:  Things have gotten so bad that I completely forgot about a decently productive player just walking away from the team because they couldn't scholarship him haha

As one who is viewing this from afar and without a dog in the hunt, let me say that NIU is really getting a black eye from this decision. I know that it is tough on fans to lose a player for his last year, but the school should consider the mountain of bad national publicity it is getting from this action. NIU is definitely looking like it doesn't give a hoot about this kid's future, but just wants to use the kid up for the basketball program. True or not, that is the perception. Let the kid go and be done with it.

Mountain of bad national publicity? Spare me. A blog post (based on a St Louis news report) in the nether-reaches of ESPN.com does not a mountain make, no matter how much traffic ESPN.com itself does daily. Do a Google News search of Sean Kowal in the last week- 4 hits.

Frankly, if there's a genuine belief on NIU's part that there is some kind of tampering involved here that violate some kind of rules, I'd rather they refer the matter to the NCAA or take it up with that institution. But if that is the case, they aren't really in the wrong here.

It is a little convenient that he suddenly wants to study in a program not available at NIU. Also, people who are serious about graduate study don't go anywhere without funding from the school, not a year of basketball scholarship money. Not that people don't make ill-conceived runs at grad school, but I can see where this looks hinky.

Unlike 7 whose wont is kneejerk negative reactions whenever he has a chance to spin NIU basketball with the most unfavorable interpretation possible, some of us tend to be more reflective and perhaps even give NIU the benefit of the doubt. I see where Tennesse Coach Dooley said he makes decisions on who to release based on three criteria: what was the player's personal investment into the program; what harm the player's departure would cause the program; and how the player handled the situation as a person. It appears NIU had a huge personal investment in Kowal, his leaving will harm the program significantly and he may have handled the situation with a lack of candor, possible prevarication, considerable manipulation of the rules and the people involved. It occurs to me that the NIU faculty committee that decides such things may have been following Coach Dooley's criteria. Seems there are always two sides to a story.

How about those TV anchors who tried to make it such a sob story for Kowal. They don't have a clue about how athletics and scholarships work or probably don't even care to try to find the other side of a story. They make it sound like he still can't attend those other schools and it is all NIU's fault. He can go to any school he wants. He just has to pay. Poor boy. He got 4 years of college paid for. Then he all of a sudden wants out of his 5th year to go play somewhere else. He doesn't want to have to pay for education for the next 25-30 years..... Lets do a story on how selfish that sounds. Like many thousands of other college students don't have to pay for school? He already got 4 paid for.

If he doesn't want to play hoops anymore, fine. But he knew going in that NIU didn't have that degree. He's been here 3 years. Did he just now get the calling while over in China playing hoops while getting ready for NIU and his senior season? And did he try to do anything to work it out with the staff and NIU so he could delay his Masters study by just a year, maybe take some type of other courses that would still be beneficial to his career, maybe an internship type thing at a church, or who knows what else. I doubt that effort was made by him. That would make me think the bottom line is he wanted to go play ball somewhere else, and it had very little to do with his theology grad degree.

I am disappointed. I really felt that with Silas and Kowal as senior leaders ready to make a mark, and with Jones (who I have a feeling is going to be a very good player), and all the other returners who have undoubtedly gotten stronger and hopefully better, that we would have a decent team this year. Losing our only guy over 6-8 is a "big" loss.

And, it is my understanding that the NCAA appeals hearing backed NIU in this case and said that they supported the decision to not release him. I think he screwed NIU, the coaches and his teammates by leaving when he did. He should have done it at the end of the season so they could have gone out and tried to get some type of replacement. I don't feel bad for Kowal. If a football starter who would really help the team this year and there was no adequate replacement all of a sudden said he wanted out to go to some other school, I doubt some of you would be so "understanding" and want to give him his release to go elsewhere and screw the Huskie football team.

^ Good post. Unfortunately the basketball program has made it really easy to sympathize with any disgruntled players. That is something Kowal can't be blamed for and may be a large part of the reason he wants out anyway. It certainly appears to be a terrible way of handling things by Kowal.

(08-02-2010 09:39 AM)High On NIU Hoops Wrote:  How about those TV anchors who tried to make it such a sob story for Kowal. They don't have a clue about how athletics and scholarships work or probably don't even care to try to find the other side of a story. They make it sound like he still can't attend those other schools and it is all NIU's fault. He can go to any school he wants. He just has to pay. Poor boy. He got 4 years of college paid for. Then he all of a sudden wants out of his 5th year to go play somewhere else. He doesn't want to have to pay for education for the next 25-30 years..... Lets do a story on how selfish that sounds. Like many thousands of other college students don't have to pay for school? He already got 4 paid for.

If he doesn't want to play hoops anymore, fine. But he knew going in that NIU didn't have that degree. He's been here 3 years. Did he just now get the calling while over in China playing hoops while getting ready for NIU and his senior season? And did he try to do anything to work it out with the staff and NIU so he could delay his Masters study by just a year, maybe take some type of other courses that would still be beneficial to his career, maybe an internship type thing at a church, or who knows what else. I doubt that effort was made by him. That would make me think the bottom line is he wanted to go play ball somewhere else, and it had very little to do with his theology grad degree.

I am disappointed. I really felt that with Silas and Kowal as senior leaders ready to make a mark, and with Jones (who I have a feeling is going to be a very good player), and all the other returners who have undoubtedly gotten stronger and hopefully better, that we would have a decent team this year. Losing our only guy over 6-8 is a "big" loss.

And, it is my understanding that the NCAA appeals hearing backed NIU in this case and said that they supported the decision to not release him. I think he screwed NIU, the coaches and his teammates by leaving when he did. She should have done it at the end of the season so they could have gone out and tried to get some type of replacement. I don't feel bad for Kowal. If a football starter who would really help the team this year and there was no adequate replacement all of a sudden said he wanted out to go to some other school, I doubt some of you would be so "understanding" and want to give him his release to go elsewhere and screw the Huskie football team.

+1...I'd say I was indifferent with this whole situation until Kowal said "I don't want to pay for college for 25 years". Give me a break....as you said, he's had 4 years paid for and he's quitting on his team. Is the basketball program still in disarray? Yes. Is Patton still probably gone very soon? Yes. But just because all of that is happening doesn't mean Sean get's the opportunity to be a baby and do whatever he wants.

[/quote]
Did NIU pay for Kowal to just recently play ball in China, benefiting himself as well as the school? If so, he's a complete prick for leaving us high and dry to use his "improved" talent elsewhere on our dime. He most likely knew not only that he was leaving long before China but where he intended to play next year etc. I don't trust Patton, but if the University has his back on this one then I see no reason to question the decision.

I don't know that NIU would have helped pay for the China experience, but I'd bet help set it up for him because I'm pretty sure Silas also went and the team was coached by ex-Huskie assistant Dennis Gates. I'm sure he got the experience at a pretty good economic value if he did have to pay. I guess he wasn't worried about putting that money towards his graduate education instead. And, I agree. I think he was thinking of not coming back to NIU for a while. He announced he was leaving the program after the trip at an unfortunate time and screwed his teammates. If the University committee who decided this is supported by the NCAA after the appeals hearing, it sounds more like Kowal was in the wrong here and trying to take advantage of NIU. I don't worry about the PR black eye because most people would act like those sappy TV anchors did without looking deeper. I worry more that it hurts the program by losing our only center. This team didn't need any blind side hits like this. Threlof would be playing a lot if he stayed home!