Senior point guard officially ruled ineligible by NCAA

FIU point guard Raymond Taylor has played his final college basketball game. Taylor, via his Twitter account, announced that his college career is over.

The speedy guard was pulled from the lineup before an 82-67 win over Bethune-Cookman University on Nov. 21 upon speculation that he might be ineligible by the NCAA.

After the 2011-12 season, Taylor, while at Florida Atlantic University, declared he would enter the NBA Draft in March. In that year’s NCAA Manual, Taylor had until April 10, 2012, the first day of the spring signing period, to withdraw his name from the draft. The NBA included Taylor when it released the 2012 draft’s early entry list on May 3, 2012. Taylor was the only college player listed as having withdrawn on June 20, 2012.

Taylor then transferred to FIU, where he was forced to sit out the 2012-13 season under the NCAA’s transfer rules. He started FIU’s first seven games and averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 assists per game.

At the time of Taylor’s removal from play, FIU’s media relations department issued this statement:

“Late Thursday afternoon, the University received information related to men’s basketball student-athlete Raymond Taylor’s eligibility status.  As a result of the information presented, the University has elected to withhold Ray from intercollegiate competition until the impact, if any, this information has on his eligibility status can be determined.  A review is being conducted and will conclude as quickly as possible.  Given that the issue involves student-athlete eligibility, there is no further information that we can provide at this time.”

The statement declared that a “review” of the situation was being conducted. Well, it now seems as if that review is over. Taylor will not suit up on a college court ever again.

Taylor took to Twitter on Jan. 8 to express that a final decision on his case had been made.

“No more College ball for me….,” wrote Taylor on his account at 11:56 a.m.

One of Taylor’s Twitter followers asked what happened that caused him to write that and Taylor responded by saying: “ncaa ruled me ineligible.”

FIU began the season 6-2 with Taylor as its starting point guard. Since being pulled from the B-CU game, FIU has struggled and sports a 3-5 record in the eight games without him.

The Panthers lost speed and depth when Taylor was removed from the lineup. Those losses are something Head Coach Anthony Evans has noted recently. Evans believes that a lack of depth helped contribute to a losing streak at the hands of Louisville, Georgetown and Florida A&M.