Missouri guard CJ Gunn has been ruled ineligible by the SEC, head coach Dennis Gates confirmed Monday. The decision comes less than two days before the Tigers' season opener against Cleveland State.
Gunn was banned after receiving $524 for playing three games in the Canadian Elite Basketball League in May. Under SEC rules passed this summer, any basketball or football player who signs a professional contract after enrolling in college is ineligible to compete in the SEC. Gunn, a four-year player who spent the past two seasons at DePaul, is ineligible because he signed a pro contract and received less than $600, which he had to pay back, according to Gates.
The SEC's ruling, based on Gunn's "post-enrollment" status, mirrors the case of RJ Luis at LSU. No appeal is possible, and the ruling came too late for Gunn to enter the G League draft in October. Gunn was not expected to start but would have provided depth for a team with Top 25 aspirations.
Additionally, projected starting center Jaylen Carey has been indefinitely suspended for a team violation that Gates said would not jeopardize his standing with the team. The suspension is not expected to be long, but it is unclear if Carey will return for Friday's highly anticipated game against Saint Louis.
