By ADAM ZAGORIA
An NCAA appeal decision for West Virginia guard Jose Perez is expected by Jan. 11, sources told ZAGSBLOG.
West Virginia hosts No. 3 Kansas on Saturday and No. 19 Baylor on Jan. 11.
A source said Perez “just wants to play basketball.”
The 6-foot-5 Perez announced his transfer to West Virginia Oct. 29 after Manhattan fired his coach and mentor, Steve Masiello, two weeks before the start of the season, a story broken by ZAGSBLOG.
On Dec. 16, the NCAA denied West Virginia’s request for immediate eligibility for Perez.
“We are disappointed by the news that we received this afternoon from the NCAA,” Hall of Fame coach Bob Huggins said then. “All of Mountaineer Basketball is hurting for Jose. We plan to appeal this decision.”
West Virginia is Perez’s fourth school after previous stints at Gardner-Webb, Marquette and Manhattan. He started 29 games last season and played in all 30, averaging 18.9 ppg, 4.5 apg and 3.2 rpg. The Bronx native turned 24 in October.
West Virginia is 10-4, 0-2 in the Big 12.
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