UConn announced that freshman forward Kentan Facey has been granted a waiver by the NCAA and will have a full four years of eligibility, beginning with the 2013-14 season.
“I am so pleased and excited that everything has worked out for this outstanding young man,” UConn coach Kevin Ollie said Friday. “It’s great to see him go through this situation and persevere. He just kept working very hard and believed in our university.”
The addition of Facey should help the Huskies in the frontcourt, where they are thin. They also added 7-foot freshman Amida Brimah, whom Ollie is high on.
Facey grew up in Trelawny, Jamaica, and attended school at Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran for the past two years. The 6-9 forward was the N.Y. State Gatorade Player of the Year in 2012-13, after averaging 14.8 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 4.5 blocks per game.
“I want to thank our university compliance department, which went above and beyond to help us with Kentan’s situation and the NCAA, which took the time to evaluate all the extenuating circumstances before making a final decision,” Ollie said. “Obviously, we feel it was the fair solution.”
Facey has been practicing with the Huskies throughout the preseason.
“I can’t say enough about what a model student-athlete Kentan has been in spite of the situation he was facing,” Ollie said. “He never let circumstances distract his positive image of himself and that’s just a testament to his strong character. We are very excited that he will be with us this year and beyond.”
Photo/Release: UConn
