Two of St. John’s basketball’s top players last season reportedly did not get the ruling they were hoping for in their appeal against the NCAA.
A Queens judge ruled against Chris Ledlum and Jordan Dingle in their quest for an additional year of eligibility, according to Zach Braziller of the New York Post. Ledlum and Dingle had turned to the courts for injunctive relief after the NCAA turned them down.
Both players were seeking another year because they did not receive a free fifth season due to the COVID-19 pandemic like other players did.
That’s because the Ivy League did not compete at all during the 2020-21 campaign, when Ledlum was at Harvard and Dingle was a member of the Penn program.
“Their waivers for a fifth year were denied by the NCAA, and so they took the NCAA to court, claiming that the governing sports body was in violation of New York antitrust and NIL laws and alleging that they are suffering ‘irreparable harm’ from losing out on a fifth year,” Braziller wrote.
Ledlum and Dingle both spent one year at St. John’s after transferring into the program last offseason. Dingle was the Red Storm’s third-leading scorer, averaging 11.6 points per game on 44% shooting, while Ledlum chipped in 9.5 points and 6.9 rebounds.
St. John’s finished the year 20-13 in its first run under legendary head coach Rick Pitino. Even without Ledlum and Dingle, the Red Storm should have a formidable roster next season, thanks to several key returners and an impressive haul in the transfer portal.