View from Section 137

If I was old, and had elgibility left I would play too. The funny thing is Mike Sutton wanted him to be on his Tennessee Tech team. Guess he wanted to grab him before Bruce Peal swooped in and got him. It would have something to see Papaw hold up a 7/11 store.

Remember Ken Mink? He was the fella who attracted a lot of publicity for wanting to be a part of lowest-level college ball in 2008. Still having eligibility available at the tender age of 73, Mink tried to make a comeback more than 50 years after he last played organized basketball.
He did so, successfully, playing in a handful of games for Roane State, a junior college located in Tennessee.
But then, last summer, Mink suffered a torn Achilles — you just can’t predict injury, y’know? — during the U.S. Senior Olympics at Stanford and his comeback was cut short. He couldn’t play for Roane State last year, so he turned his allegiance over to Tennessee Tech, which offered him a walk-on spot with the team.

So now, at 75, Mink still wants more. Unfortunately, the NCAA won’t allow Tennessee Tech to break the rules and allow this feel-good story to continue. The infamous 5-4 rule is the reason why.

Mink’s five-year window, according to the NCAA, started when he enrolled at Lees in 1955, making him ineligible to play at Tennessee Tech this year.

“We got bad news,” [Tech coach Mike] Sutton said. “The NCAA said Ken would not be eligible to play for us or any other NCAA team because of their 5-4 Rule. The 5-4 Rule says you must complete your four years of college play within a five-year period. They say Ken’s 5-4 Rule clock started in 1955 when he was in junior college. We think his 5-4 clock should not have started until 2008, when he played for Roane State.”

This goes on to show the stupidity of the NCAA. Better hide your transcripts old man, they will check them soon and there might even be an article in the AARP news letter. There would definitely be one if Cal let you sit on his bench!!