The NCAA was turned upside down on Friday after a court ruling on eligibility.
According to Pete Nakos of On3.com, Judge Charlotte Sweeney "granted a class-wide preliminary injunction that requires the NCAA to declare eligible all high school class of 2022 athletes who exhausted four seasons of eligibility this spring."
This is a major step in the NCAA's eligibility rulings, as it will open the door for a collection of players to take part in their new age-based eligibility model. It will also open the door for a collection of players who may not make it at the next level, which includes former Illinois guard and hometown kid Kylan Boswell.
Boswell, a product of Champaign, Illinois, became a member of the Illinois basketball program after transferring from the Arizona Wildcats. In two seasons with the Illini, the 6-foot-2 guard became a fan favorite in Champaign, averaging 12.3 points and 4.4 rebounds through 65 games played.
Unfortunately, Boswell was not selected this past June in the NBA draft, but did end up signing a two-way contract with the Charlotte Hornets to join their Summer League team, where he averaged 5.0 points and 3.4 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game.
As of writing this, there is no word on whether Boswell will start the regular season on the Hornets' active roster.
The Illinois basketball program is set, and doesn't need to bring back Kylan Boswell for another run
There are a lot of questions that still need to be answered regarding this new ruling, such as how roster limits will play a part. Also, can players who have already signed with teams opt out of their current contracts?
According to On3, the plaintiffs in the case did request a suspension of roster limits, but there is no confirmation on whether Judge Sweeney granted it or not. If the Illini did want to bring Boswell back, this would be the biggest hurdle for them to climb, regardless of which way the ruling goes.
Not only that, but there is also the case surrounding Boswell's contract that he already signed with Charlotte. The NCAA shouldn't allow him back because of it, but with the number of court cases that have changed the landscape of college sports recently, this will certainly not be an issue in the long run.
Regardless of what happens, the Illini don't need Boswell for this upcoming season. He would be a luxury coming off the bench on defense if he decided to return, but with Stefan Vaaks and Quentin Coleman already patrolling the backcourt, he would just end up being an extra body looking for minutes.
Boswell had a great run in Champaign, and Illinois fans will continue to thank him for the rest of eternity, but unless he was willing to sit behind the new crop of talent, he would need to find another program elsewhere.
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