RaeQuan Battle, Noah Farrakhan to play, WVU will have a full roster to compete against UMass

MORGANTOWN — For the first time this season, Josh Eilert will have a full deck of cards at his disposal when the WVU men’s basketball team plays in Saturday’s Hall of Fame Classic.

It took a federal court hearing on Wednesday and then a joint agreement Friday between the NCAA and the seven states currently involved in federal litigation against the organization in order for that to happen.

But, hey, who’s counting at this point.

The bottom line: WVU (4-5) will play both RaeQuan Battle and Noah Farrakhan today against UMass (5-2), as well as guard Kerr Kriisa, who had missed the first nine games of the season because of an NCAA suspension.

“We have had many conversations with a variety of parties since Wednesday’s court ruling in Wheeling,” Eilert said in a press release. “But most importantly, we have had extensive discussions with RaeQuan, Noah and their families. They have expressed their desire to compete with their fellow teammates and represent West Virginia University on the court. This was their decision to compete. As I’ve said, we will always fully support them and certainly look forward to having them on our active roster.”

Battle and Farrakhan competing for WVU during the 2023-24 season has been in question since the start of the campaign.

Battle was twice denied a waiver by the NCAA to compete this season, while Farrakhan’s plan was to sit out and prepare for next season.

Both players are two-time transfers who have yet to earn a college degree, meaning they needed a waiver in order to play this season, according to the NCAA transfer policies.

That changed Wednesday, after a federal court in Wheeling issued a 14-day temporary restraining order (TRO) against the NCAA in being able to enforce its transfer rules.

The NCAA temporarily fired back a day later, issuing guidance to member schools that any previously ineligible player who played during the 14 days did so with the risk of losing a year’s eligibility if the NCAA ultimately won the case.

That was the gamble Battle, who has just one season of eligibility remaining, faced by playing during the TRO.

That gamble was lifted Friday, when Ohio Attorney General announced the NCAA had reached an agreement that would be sent to the court for its approval.

Those terms included two major pieces of information:

** That the NCAA would not retaliate against players who play during the TRO.

** The TRO, itself, would become a preliminary injunction that would last until collegiate spring sports are concluded, which is generally in late June with the NCAA baseball tournament.

In essence, Battle was given clearance to use his final season of eligibility to finish out the rest of this season, one that suddenly has a new flavor for the Mountaineers.

Throughout the first nine games, Eilert has coached handcuffed, using a rotation that consisted of seven players mainly to compete.

That changes against the Minutemen, now that forward Akok Akok has been working his way back into the lineup after missing seven games with a medical condition.

Kriisa will also be making his WVU debut after missing the first nine games after a suspension for accepting illegal benefits while still enrolled at Arizona.

The biggest difference could be Battle’s debut. In the past, Eilert has referred to him as “a special player,” one who could bring another level of athleticism to the Mountaineers after averaging 17.7 points per game last season at Montana State.

Eilert also said that having a full roster of players could change the way he coaches the game.

“I think it’s a lot faster,” Eilert said of WVU’s style of play. “We’ve had to slow things down by default to be competitive with our lack of depth. We’re still transitioning Akok back. If we have depth at the guards, we’ll have a lot fresher legs out there.

“I anticipate playing faster than we have those first nine games.”