On completion of Leaving Cert in 2008 in Dublin, 17 year-old Travis Black headed to America to pursue his basketball dream. Five years later, his dream has been crushed, or at the very least put on hold, because of his Irish education.
His father Ken played and coached in America before he arrived in Dublin to coach on these shores. The couple have nine children, with Travis the second oldest. While all of the children played basketball at one point or another, Travis was a shining light in the family. So much so that his path was paved even before he finished school.
He completed his Leaving Cert at the tender age of 17 and went to school in Spartenburg where he lived with his uncle in order to pursue his dream of making it as a professional player. A diligent player, he has not returned to Ireland since he left, communicating to his family via Skype while working hard to perfect his game.
And perfecting his skills is an understatement. In his first two years the point-guard led his side to 64-8 record, including a No. 1 national ranking and a third-place finish in a NJCAA tournament.
After showing such promise Black received a full scholarship at Clayton State, a Division II school in the suburb of Atlanta. Not only did it mean he would be playing at a higher level, it also meant his parents would be free of such a financial burden to pay for their son’s education, and ultimately his basketball dream.
Travis Black in action last season
However just when it looked like things were falling into place for Black, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has made a career-changing intervention and decided that Black in ineligible for his team.
“My dream has been crushed,” Black said via the Spartanburg Herald-Journal. “I have to figure out what I’m going to do.”
And it is all to due with his Leaving Cert, or more to the point, completing his high-school education in this country. It ruled that because he graduated from high school in Ireland, even though it was a year early, his two years at SCA counted against his college eligibility because his high school in Spartanburg classified him as a junior when he enrolled.
What makes it even more galling is that Black had been meticulous with his paperwork, only for the NCAA to make a mess of the process.
“Right after I signed, I started doing paperwork,” he said “I did paperwork from April until October. I mean serious paperwork. I had to account for every game I participated in since I’ve been in America, exact dates and all that stuff.”
“I sent them transcripts from every school. But they were unorganized. They said they kept losing my stuff. I had to resend everything.”
The NCAA for their part state that they are merely sticking to the rules, which is simply unfortunate for the talented basketballer.
“Travis graduated from high school in Ireland in 2008. He then attended high school, prep school, and junior college in the United States as he continued to develop athletically and academically,” said Chis Radford of the NCAA told USA Today.
“NCAA rules allow for a one-year grace period after high school graduation for participation in sports before college enrollment, but in this case, the student-athlete delayed enrollment for nearly three years post high school graduation while he continued to play basketball.”
“Anger is a not a word I should use,” said Clayton head coach Paul Harrison.
“I’m just really disappointed. I’m disappointed because Travis Black is all about doing what’s right. He’s worked his tail off to be a better student, a better player. He’s a great, great player.”
Pics credit: Go Up State
For Black it is a heart-breaking turn of events, though for now, Black will remain on the team. He’ll wear a tie and sit on the bench for home games. But Clayton State can’t afford to keep him on scholarship. It will be pulled after this semester.
Black has said he may try track and soccer, with possible half-scholarships in both, though basketball coaching is ultimately where he sees his future after this setback.
And when it comes to further down the line, the 6-foot-3 player is adamant he will return home to Ireland, “the best country in the world”.
“I will live my final days in Ireland. There’s no doubt about that. The people are so friendly. They accept anybody. They would rather you stay at their house instead of spending money on a hotel.”
A huge potential, it is a sad tale for the Irish player who harboured dreams of playing in the NBA.
Hat-tip to Damo Byrne on Twitter
