With tougher academic restrictions coming from the NCAA next season, the athletic department wants to make sure two men’s basketball players who want out of their scholarships fulfill their academic requirements this semester before they leave.

Freshman forwards Dantiel Daniels and Treg Setty were denied releases from their scholarships and Athletic Director Mario Moccia said it’s because they want to protect the school’s academic standing

with the NCAA.

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The NCAA approved a change Aug. 11 to their Academic Progress Rate policy, which ranks every sport inside a school’s athletic department based on academic standards, such as GPA and graduation rates.

Moccia said the new restrictions were the primary reasons they want Setty and Daniels to leave the university in good academic standing.

“(The new policy) forces us to be much more strict on not just giving anyboody a release who wants to,” Moccia said. “The student-athletes need to make sure they’re doing their academic coursework.”

According to NCAA  rules, another school can still contact Daniels or Setty, but they must ask permission from the athletic department first. Without a scholarship, Daniels or Setty could talk to other schools freely without SIU’s consent.

Compliance Coordinator Ashley Shells said the compliance office has no comment about Setty or Daniels. Media Services Director Tom Weber said coach Barry Hinson won’t be available for comment until he holds a press conference to announce his coaching staff, which Weber said will be announced in a few days.

Terrance McGee was the first person officially named to Hinson’s staff April 10, while Tulsa World reported that Oral Roberts assistant Tom Hankins will also join

Hinson’s staff.

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