October 20, 2025
High School Basketball
The IHSA suspended Simeon High School Coach
The Illinois High School Association suspended Chicago's Simeon High School basketball coach Tim Flowers for six games and two assistants for four games after the team traveled to Hong Kong in September. The violation occurred because Flowers coached during the trip, which is not allowed in that month. The team also cannot practice for the first three days of the season and can only play 28 games instead of 31. Flowers argues the trip was approved by Chicago Public Schools and that other Illinois teams play in fall leagues with coaches present. Notably, after Simeon appealed, the IHSA board increased the penalty from four to six games.
Teen Removed from Boys Basketball Tryouts Over Birth Certificate Error
Laker Jackson, a 14-year-old student at Eastmark High School in Arizona, was physically removed from boys' basketball tryouts because a clerical error on his birth certificate mistakenly listed him as female. Despite being enrolled as male throughout his time in the district and his parents obtaining a corrected birth certificate with a doctor's note, the Queen Creek Unified School District is requiring chromosomal testing before they will "consider" allowing him to play on the boys' team. He was told he must play on the coed or girls' team.
College Basketball
NCAA Denies Eligibility Waiver to Gonzaga's Tyon Grant-Foster
Just 16 days before Gonzaga's season opener, the NCAA denied an eligibility waiver to projected starting forward Tyon Grant-Foster despite his extensive medical history. Grant-Foster collapsed during his first game at DePaul due to a heart condition, underwent multiple surgeries, and missed two seasons. He has filed a lawsuit with a preliminary injunction hearing scheduled for October 24. The college basketball community expressed widespread shock at the denial.
Common Theme:
All three stories involve eligibility and administrative controversies that are preventing student-athletes from competing, raising questions about fairness and the impact of governing body decisions on young athletes' opportunities.
-Source: KTVK/KPHO. (2025, October 19). Teen removed from boys basketball tryouts, told to join girls team over birth certificate error. KGNS. https://www.kgns.tv/2025/10/19/teen-removed-boys-basketball-tryouts-told-join-girls-team-over-virth-certificate-error/
O'Brien, M. (2025, October 16). IHSA penalizes Simeon and basketball coach Tim Flowers for bylaw violations on a trip to Hong Kong. Chicago Sun-Times. https://chicago_suntimes.com/high-school-basketball/2025/10/16/ihsa-penalizes-simeon-and-basketball-coach-tim-flowers-for-bylaw-violations-on-a-trip-to-hong-kong
Patton, A. (2025, October 18). College basketball world reacts to NCAA denying eligibility waiver to Tyon Grant-Foster. Sports Illustrated. https://www.si.com/college/gonzaga/basketball/college-basketball-world-reacts-ncaa-denying-eligibility-waiver-tyon-grant-foster