On Tuesday, Keyshawn Hall, a wing for St. John’s, achieved a legal victory in his pursuit of a fifth year of eligibility from the NCAA. Following a hearing in Queens Supreme Court, Judge Joseph J. Risi decided not to vacate Hall’s temporary restraining order, allowing him to be eligible to play pending a ruling on a preliminary injunction. The timeline for this ruling remains uncertain.
Hall, who stands at 6 feet 7 inches and transferred from Auburn, is part of the 2022 high school class that the NCAA did not include in its new eligibility rule, which allows players five years of eligibility over five seasons. Hall’s attorney, Brian Shoot, contended that the NCAA's exclusion of the 2022 class from this rule constituted a breach of contract.
Shoot referenced several recent cases in New York state where judges have favored players in similar situations. The NCAA attempted to argue that Hall's previous involvement in a significant case in Ohio with other members of the 2022 class indicated “forum shopping,” a practice where a plaintiff seeks a court perceived to be more favorable, and sought to have the temporary restraining order vacated. However, Risi ruled against the NCAA.
“Four judges in the state have ruled, they’ve all ruled the same way, and what was most convincing to those four judges was why?” Shoot stated. “If [Hall] entered college, not in 2022, but in 2023, he’d have five years. If he entered in 2024, he’d have five years. If he entered in 2021, he’d have five years because they got an extra year for COVID. Of all the athletes, you selected this [class]. Why? What’s different about them?”