oneal826

SoCalHoops College News

Charles O'Neal Will Be Ineligible;
Big O Is A No Show--(Aug. 26, 1998)

The Long Beach Press Telegram and the LA Daily News have both reported that Long Beach State transfer signee point guard Charles O'Neal, who had to sit out the entire 1997-98 season after it was discovered the classes he took in junior college would not enable him to transfer to Long Beach State, was declared ineligible Monday for the fall semester because he lacks one course on his JC transcripts. As a result, he'll have to sit out the first 9 games of Long Beach's season.

It was also reported that Ugonna Onyekwe (6'-8" Fr. F), who signed a letter of intent to play for the 49ers, but later asked to be released from his commitment - a request the 49ers have denied - didn't show for the first day of classes on Monday.

While the Onyekwe situation was not a big surprise, O'Neal's ineligibility was. "Charles has done everything he has been asked to do over the past year to become academically eligible," Long Beach State Coach Wayne Morgan told the Long Beach Press Telegram. "I hate to see this happening. He's accepted it gracefully, with a great deal of maturity."

The problem apparently rests with Florida Community College in Jacksonville, Fla., where O'Neal played for two seasons, averaging better than five assists a game, but didn't take the proper classes in preparation for transfer. O'Neal had hoped to to join the 49ers last year at mid-season, until it was determined he had not completed the necessary courses. He then attended Compton College, completing 19 units during the spring and summer sessions. But, he learned just last week that he still needs to complete a science lab in order to receive his Associate of Arts degree, a requirement for transfer. Thus, the earliest O'Neal will be eligible will be Dec. 21, which means he'll miss nine regular-season non-conference games, including the Dec. 5 game at the Pyramid against NCAA runner-up Utah. His first regular-season game would be at Northwestern on Dec. 27, the 49ers' last non-conference game. The Press-Telegram speculated that a possible replacement for O'Neal might be Tommy Davis, the starting point guard on the 49ers' 1996-97 club. Following that season, Davis was dismissed from the team by Morgan, yet he remained in school and has since been reinstated.