Craig Haley of The Times of Trenton has confirmed an Internet rumor that had been circulating for the past months: junior David Whitehurst has been declared academically ineligible. In the article, Haley states that Whitehurst “was dismissed from the Ivy League university for the upcoming school year for academic reasons” and “will have an opportunity to return for the 2007-08 school year.” There was no confirmation of the story from the Penn athletic department, who told The Daily Pennsylvanian they “would never comment on a student-athlete’s academic status.”
Whitehurst played in all 29 games last season, starting 21 of those contests and averaging 5.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 26.4 minutes per game. He shot 24 of 93 (25.8 percent) from three-point range and 34.7 percent overall, while playing excellent perimeter defense for the most part.
Slant: Assuming Haley is correct that Whitehurst will be out of school this coming year and won’t be taking classes with the chance of regaining eligibility in the spring semester, the impact on Penn’s basketball program may not be that great. Talented junior Michael Kach is set to return to the team and Darren Smith joins the program as one of the top guard recruits in the league, and the pair likely will benefit from the additional playing time. Whitehurst’s defense will be the toughest to replace, but if either Kach or Smith can develop a reliable stroke from the outside, that should more than make up for any defensive dropoff.
There is some question as to whether Whitehurst will return to Penn, though in a June 30 article in the Asbury Park Press — long after word of his ineligibility began circulating — he spoke of his future plans as a Quaker. However, Whitehurst also talked about having “one more year” with senior Ibby Jaaber, so take those comments with a grain of salt.
Provided Whitehurst does return to Penn, it may work out well in that he would have two years left after Jaaber’s graduation. His shooting and decision-making need to get much better, but there’s a chance Whitehurst could find himself the featured guard in Glen Miller’s offense for two seasons.
