Brook Lopez ruled ineligible Seven-footer to miss first nine games of season due to academic issues

October 8, 2007

Stanford, CA (CSTV U-WIRE) -- Sophomore center Brook Lopez is academically ineligible and will miss Stanford basketball's first nine games, coach Trent Johnson announced on Friday.

Lopez will practice with the team, but cannot play until Santa Clara visits on Dec. 19, assuming he regains his eligibility after fall quarter.

Rising sophomores need to have completed 36 units with a 1.8 GPA to be eligible by NCAA standards.

I have failed to live up to my academic requirements and take full responsibility for what has happened," Lopez said in a press release. "I regret letting down my team, the University and everyone who supports me. I promise to work hard to improve my academic standing and look forward to being back on the floor to help my team."

Lopez is Stanford's greatest offensive threat, and one of the most talented post players to ever wear a uniform for the Cardinal. The No. 2 center recruit in the nation in his senior year of high school, Lopez was a projected NBA lottery pick before announcing his intention to return to the Farm last March.

He was named to last year's All-Pac-10 Freshman team and All-Pac-10 Honorable Mention team, averaging 13 points and six rebounds in 26 games and 18 starts.

Stanford will be heavily favored in nearly all of its first nine games - Harvard, Northwestern State, UC-Santa Barbara, at Northwestern, at Siena, Yale, Colorado State, Sacramento State and at Colorado - so Lopez's loss will have less of an effect than if he were to miss conference games.

But the Cardinal, a likely preseason top-15 team before today's news, needs its biggest threat in top condition come winter. The Pac-10 looks stronger than ever, and with virtually everyone returning from last year's NCAA tournament team, big things are expected of Lopez and his teammates.

(C) 2007 The Stanford Daily via CSTV U-WIRE