Hofstra's Kelleher set to finally make debut

The long odyssey is nearly over for Hofstra senior guard Brad Kelleher, who left his native Australia to play college basketball in the United States but became tangled in a protracted struggle to gain eligibility.

"It will be a great day for Hofstra when Brad steps on the court,'' athletic director Jack Hayes said. He is scheduled to make his Hofstra debut Saturday at home against Florida Atlantic after missing the first 40 games of his Division I career.

Kelleher transferred to Hofstra in the fall of 2009 after playing two years in junior college at Midland (Texas). Before that, Kelleher attended high school in Australia and later played in four games for a professional team in his country - not an uncommon occurrence for international players.

Hofstra's initial understanding of the NCAA rule was that Kelleher would have to sit out the first eight games of last season, two for each game he played with the pro team. But the NCAA determined that Kelleher had signed a professional contract with the Australian team and ruled him ineligible for all of last season and the first eight games this season.

Hofstra vigorously denied the assertion that Kelleher signed a contract. They and the player said it was a one-page informational sheet. Kelleher received no compensation for his limited play. "The NCAA said there were two violations,'' Hayes said. "Signing a pro contract and playing with professionals.''

Hofstra asked that the penalties be served concurrently. Hayes said, "To us, if they've got to be violations, they seemed to go hand-in-hand [and] they'd be penalized at the same time. The NCAA said no. He sits out [last season] for signing the contract and the eight games gets applied for 2010-2011.''

With the ordeal over, the 24-year-old is raring to go. "I don't think it has hit me just yet,'' Kelleher said. "Words can't describe how I'm feeling right now just knowing I'm going to be able to be out there and help my team. Obviously, I broke some rules so I have to accept the consequences, like I have. It's behind me now.''

Kelleher said he could have returned home but decided to stick it out. "I had an opportunity to go back home, a lot of [pro] teams knew my situation, but this is my family now. I love it here. Hofstra University's done a lot for me, so I owe it to them right now . . . I'll put everything on the line for them. I see myself coming back and playing straightaway. I've been doing extra work every day, shooting, lifting. I'm not holding back . . . I'm here to play and I'm here to win.''

Coach Mo Cassara envisions an immediate role for Kelleher. "He can shoot the ball well and can run the team,'' he said. "He's a floor leader and a tough kid, a pretty aggressive defender, and I think he's ultimately going to be able to stretch the defense a little bit and make some perimeter shots for us. Our immediate plan is to get him on the court as soon as he becomes eligible.''

On Friday, the NCAA wrote in an e-mailed statement to Newsday that Kelleher's eligibility was acted upon by "the Division I Committee on Student-Athlete Reinstatement, an independent membership committee [and] upheld the NCAA staff decision regarding Hofstra University men's basketball student-athlete Bradley Kelleher. With this decision, Mr. Kelleher was required to sit out a season while being charged a season of eligibility. He was also required to sit out 8 games of the 2010-11 season (two-for-one penalty).''

The NJCAA investigated Kelleher and found no wrongdoing, assistant executive director Brian D. Beck said in an e-mail.

The NCAA statement also indicated that "effective for student-athletes first enrolling at a collegiate institution as of August 1, 2010, a new NCAA rule allows prospective student-athletes to compete on teams with professionals while maintaining their amateur status prior to college as long as any such benefits do not exceed actual and necessary expenses . . . '' That essentially means Kelleher would not have been cited by the NCAA under the new rule.