College basketball preseason: eligibility cases reshape plans as Pac-12 schedules arrive

Florida and Kansas respond to temporary eligibility rulings, St. John’s awaits relief for Keyshawn Hall, and Gonzaga and Colorado State map their first Pac-12 seasons.

Huffman Sports Wire News Break · CBB · Reporting · Published · Huffman Sports Wire

College basketball’s preseason is taking shape in courtrooms as well as gyms. Temporary orders have opened playing opportunities for Denzel Aberdeen, Melvin Council Jr. and Tre White, while Keyshawn Hall is seeking relief of his own.

Wednesday also brought the first Pac-12 conference schedules for Gonzaga and Colorado State. Recruiting visits, injury recovery, a professional signing in Spain and November event tickets add to the decisions facing programs before the season begins.

Aberdeen and Council receive relief; White’s Kansas return is announced

Florida guard Denzel Aberdeen received a temporary injunction Tuesday from an Alachua County circuit court, allowing him to play this season, the Associated Press reported. Aberdeen returned to Florida after spending last season at Kentucky and had been practicing with the Gators during the summer.

Melvin Council Jr. also received a preliminary injunction Tuesday, this time in Monroe County, New York. On3, citing KUSports.com’s Henry Greenstein, reported that the ruling opens a path to playing in 2026–27 and protects Council and a school that adds him from retroactive NCAA penalties. His next team had not been publicly confirmed in that report.

Kansas announced Tre White’s return on Friday, September 25, following a temporary injunction issued in Indiana two days earlier. Greenstein reported that the order lasts until the eligibility lawsuit goes to trial, and that the NCAA had sought a stay and appealed. Bill Self said White was eligible to return to campus and practice, with game participation dependent on the continuing legal situation.

Sources: Associated Press / Local 10 · On3 / Steve Samra · KUSports.com / Henry Greenstein

Hall seeks permission to play for St. John’s

Keyshawn Hall, the Auburn transfer who committed to St. John’s in August, is seeking a fifth season through a lawsuit filed in Queens Supreme Court. The New York Post reported the filing Tuesday night.

Hall is asking for injunctive relief so he can play for the Red Storm in the coming season. His attorney’s argument challenges the NCAA’s exclusion of the 2022 high school class from its revised eligibility framework. That request remains a legal claim rather than an announced clearance to play.

Sources: New York Post

Gonzaga and Colorado State open Pac-12 play January 6, 2027

Gonzaga and Colorado State released their inaugural Pac-12 league schedules Wednesday. The nine-team conference will use a 16-game round robin, with each school playing the other eight teams at home and away.

Gonzaga begins conference play at Washington State in Pullman on January 6, 2027, then hosts Colorado State January 9. The Rams open at home against Texas State on January 6 and close their regular season by hosting Gonzaga on March 6.

Colorado State said CBS, CW and USA Sports picked up 90 percent of the conference schedule. Tip times and the network assignments are due in October. The Pac-12 tournament is scheduled for March 9–13 in Las Vegas.

Sources: Gonzaga Athletics · Colorado State Athletics

Page’s September visits include North Carolina and UConn

Jordan Page’s recruitment remains one to follow in the 2027 class. His 247Sports timeline records official visits to North Carolina on September 12 and UConn on September 18.

The Raleigh wing attends IMG Academy, and Sports Illustrated’s North Carolina coverage identified him as a five-star target ahead of the Chapel Hill visit. Those visits give both programs a place in his recruitment as they work toward their next classes.

Sources: 247Sports · Sports Illustrated / Kade Nix

Duke holds second in CBS Sports’ preseason projections

Gary Parrish’s CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 places Florida first and Duke second in its preseason projections. Duke’s returning group includes Caleb Foster, Cayden Boozer, Patrick Ngongba II and Dame Sarr.

The ranking combines that returning experience with a recruiting group featuring transfers and five-star newcomers. It gives Duke a prominent position in preseason discussion before results begin to settle the order on the court.

Sources: CBS Sports / Gary Parrish

Illinois’ preseason includes Mirkovic’s foot recovery

David Mirkovic’s recovery remains part of Illinois’ preseason story after the forward underwent foot surgery in August. In a September 8 update, Fox Illinois’ Carson Gourdie reported that Mirkovic had removed his walking boot but was still out of practice.

The report described a day-to-day process without a return timetable. It offers a dated checkpoint in his recovery as the Illini prepare for the new season.

Sources: Fox Illinois / Carson Gourdie

Santos signs with Baskonia after his LSU commitment

Brazilian frontcourt player Marcio Santos signed a two-year contract with Kosner Baskonia, the Spanish EuroLeague club announced Tuesday, according to Eurohoops.

Santos had been expected to join LSU for 2026–27 after his agent confirmed a commitment. The professional agreement instead takes him back to EuroLeague competition and removes that anticipated addition from the Tigers’ plans.

Sources: Eurohoops / Giannis Askounis

Greenbrier tickets are available for November’s events

Tickets are on sale for the GoMart Greenbrier Tip-Off in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, according to the event’s official ticket page. The men’s and women’s events run November 13–22 at Colonial Hall.

Xavier and Mississippi State meet in the men’s game on November 13. Fans can use the organizer’s ticket page for the full schedule and current availability.

Sources: GoMart Greenbrier Tip-Off

Sources

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