Tarver returns after successful appeal

After playing arguably the best game of his career last Sunday against Boston College, Senior Theodis Tarver was set to play in front of at least 50 friends and family in his home state of Louisiana.

As has become a sort of tradition, Head Basketball Coach Paul Hewitt schedules one game close to a senior's hometown. The game on Tuesday was scheduled against Centenary as a way to give Tarver a chance to play in front of his family, but this was not to be as the Tech academic appeals committee stated that Tarver was academically ineligible, based on the requirements of the Institute, not the NCAA. A second hearing would be conducted on Friday afternoon, however.

After being listed as academically ineligible, Tarver was unable to travel to Shreveport for the game. The Jackets handled the Gentlemen with ease. On Friday, instead of heading to Raleigh with the rest of the team, Hewitt went to the hearing with Tarver. Fortunately for both of them, Hewitt's presence aided in the ruling by the committee in Tarver's favor by reinstating him as eligible for the remainder of the season.

"They were looking for certain assurances from me," Hewitt said, as reported on ajc.com. "This was the first time we'd had this type of trouble. Nevertheless, if one guy falls into trouble, falls through the cracks, we know that we have to do a better job."

During the hearing, Hewitt gave the committee some assurances that he would change certain procedures to aid in the monitoring of his players' academic progress.

Tarver made his comeback against N.C. State over the weekend, and the Jackets fell to the Wolfpack for the 10th consecutive time in Raleigh.Tarver scored two points and got four rebounds in 14 minutes of action.