West Virginia Mountaineers (NCAA) started this Sunday to play the first games of 2009/2010 season, but without turkish forward Deniz Kilicli ('90). As we can read at the college web site "West Virginia University freshman Deniz Kilicli will not participate in the first 20 regular season games of the 2009-10 basketball season. The NCAA determined that prior to his enrollment at WVU, Kilicli played on a team in Turkey during the 2007-08 season, which included a professional player. This is not permissible under NCAA amateurism regulations".

"A 6-foot-9 forward from Istanbul, Turkey, Kilicli attended Mountain State Academy in Beckley in 2008-09 and was ranked as the 15th-best forward and the 44th-best recruit in the 2009 class by ESPN.com".

 

Photo: FIBA Europe / Harry Zampetoulas