Review panel grants Gordon limited eligibility

High school basketball standout Eron Gordon was granted limited eligibility on Wednesday by the Indiana Department of Education's case review panel.

The ruling means the 6-2 Gordon, who transferred from North Central to Cathedral over the summer, can play on the junior varsity team immediately. The Indiana High School Athletic Association originally ruled complete ineligibility for Gordon due to a transfer for "athletic reasons." That decision was upheld by the IHSAA's review panel.

Gordon's lawyer, Buddy Yosha, said the state department's nine-person case review panel voted 7-2 in favor of limited eligibility. Gordon, a junior, would be eligible to play varsity basketball 365 days from North Central's last game, which was March 7, 2014. He averaged 14.7 points per game as a sophomore at North Central.

Yosha said it was unclear at this point if the Gordons would take the case to court, which would be the next option. He said the time it would take for the case to be heard is a potential deterrent.

IHSAA commissioner Bobby Cox said he was "fine with" the case review panel's decision. The full written report from the panel on why the eligibility ruling was changed won't be issued to the IHSAA for a couple of weeks, Cox said.

"The case review panel has a job to do, just like we do," Cox said. "We upheld our rules and now the Gordons will decide if they want to take the next step. The case review panel decided limited eligibility and we're fine with that. We're moving on with life."

Cox confirmed that Gordon's first day of eligibility would be March 7, 2015. That happens to be the Saturday when sectional championship games are played. If Cathedral would make it that far, Gordon would be eligible.