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When Baylor University received the news that freshman Perry Jones was declared ineligible, the school immediately appealed to have his eligibility reinstated. The Bears were on the bubble and had little chance of advancing in the Big 12 Tournament without their leading scorer.

The NCAA upheld its decision and Baylor was dismantled by Oklahoma, 84-67, hours later.

The suspension was the result of pre-enrollment amateurism violations and preferential treatment, which surfaced because Jones’ mother accepted three, 15-day loans from his high school AAU coach.  Jones’ ineligibility has prematurely ended his season, but will it affect his future?

Jones is projected as a top-five pick in this year’s NBA Draft, and an impressive run in the NCAA Tournament or dominant showing in his final games would have solidified him as a top pick. The suspension all but guarantees that Jones will enter his name in this year’s draft, and the general consensus around the league is that he’ll still be one of the first players off of the board this June.

"It shouldn’t affect his draft stock," said one league source. "This doesn’t affect his potential and that’s what everyone cares about at this level. Teams will want answers before investing millions of dollars in him, but this isn’t enough to scare teams away."

That’s because many NBA teams understand that the majority of players are receiving impermissible benefits, but only a select few are caught and suspended. Jones had been in contact with the AAU coach in question since he was a sixth grader in middle school, and he’s also been linked to several agents since high school. But these days, if players aren’t receiving benefits from their school’s boosters, they’re likely receiving gifts or cash from agents and advisors.

One player in last year’s draft class was receiving money from three different agents throughout the course of his college career, but he was still selected in the first round. Other players have had their friends or cousins serve as middlemen to accept anything agents are willing to send their way in order to sway their decision.

Jones will have to answer questions regarding the issue from the media and from teams during his interviews at the pre-draft camp in Chicago, but the fact that it was only short-term loans accepted by his mother lets him off the hook. Other first-round prospects such as Enes Kanter and Josh Selby found themselves in worse situations earlier this year and will have more to explain than Jones.

The bigger questions surrounding Jones have to do with his game. He’s six-foot-eleven with long arms, which is always a plus, but many scouts have questioned his work ethic. He has a reputation for taking plays off and some have wondered if he’s truly passionate about basketball. Jones has drawn comparisons to Derrick Favors because he has played well in spurts, but is attractive largely because of his potential.

One scout that watched Jones play several times this season didn’t come away impressed.

"People call him the best athlete in this class, but I’ve come away disappointed each time I’ve seen him play," said the scout. "Its one thing to question the holes in his game, but his athleticism is supposedly his biggest strength. I don’t know if he’s not playing to his full potential or what, but I haven’t seen the athlete that people rave about. He’s extremely hard to peg. If he truly is the best athlete in this class, then this is a very weak class in terms of athletic players."

Jones is a physical specimen that can be great player once he begins to tap into his potential. But his freshman season at Baylor was very average and it followed a largely disappointing senior year at Duncanville High School. This scandal shouldn’t affect his draft stock, but it’s another question mark surrounding the prospect that was already difficult to evaluate.

New York’s Answer at Center: In the weeks leading up to the trade deadline, Jared Jeffries didn’t hide the fact that he wanted to return to New York. After spending four seasons with the Knicks, Jeffries wanted the Houston Rockets to buy him out or trade him to his former team.

Jeffries loved New York, but he really liked the situation because he knew he would see the floor. After riding the bench in Houston, he wanted a significant role and knew that he could help the Knicks’ frontcourt.

In the team’s last four games, Jeffries has been called upon more than even he expected. He has replaced Ronny Turiaf as the team’s starting center, and Mike D’Antoni has hinted that he’ll remain in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.

{AUTHOR_BOX}"He’s a very good defensive player," D’Antoni told reporters. "He moves the ball, he understands what we want done, he gives us that multiple possessions on the offensive rebounding, tapping balls out. He’s just an energy guy that kind of glues everything together. He’s a valuable piece for us although he doesn’t score, but he doesn’t have to."

As a starter, Jeffries has averaged 0.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.5 fouls while shooting .167 from the field. While the Knicks don’t need a lot of production from their center position, those numbers just don’t cut it.

This was a scenario that New York envisioned weeks ago after completing their roster overhaul for Carmelo Anthony. With Ronny Turiaf banged up and Shelden Williams better suited as a reserve, the Knicks desperately tried to acquire Marcus Camby from the Portland Trail Blazers.

They offered packages that included a combination of Corey Brewer, Renaldo Balkman and Bill Walker, but the Blazers wouldn’t bite. They were on the verge of acquiring Gerald Wallace and were focused on making a playoff push of their own.

Several days later, New York was on the verge of signing Earl Barron, but by the time they opened roster spots and finalized the Jeffries signing, the seven-footer had already signed a 10-day contract with the Milwaukee Bucks. The Knicks then settled for Derrick Brown, who has only played three minutes of garbage time since signing in New York.

With centers such as Dwight Howard, Al Horford and Joakim Noah awaiting New York in the playoffs, the Knicks better hope that Jeffries steps up. Being more productive than Eddy Curry simply isn’t enough.

McCants Resumes D-League Stint: Rashad McCants has once again settled for the NBA Development League. After leaving the Texas Legends earlier this season as he weighed offers in China and Turkey, the former first-round pick now finds himself back with the Dallas Mavericks’ affiliate.

McCants, 26, was assigned to the Legends from the Mavericks training camp and played in three games with Texas before exploring options overseas. During his three games, he averaged 12.3 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists, including a season-high 20 points in his first game with the team against Austin.

For the last two offseasons, McCants has worked out for teams and tried to stick at the NBA level. He worked out for the Dallas Mavericks last October, but didn’t make the team. Last summer, he was expected play for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Las Vegas Summer League, but chose not to compete when his mother became ill.

McCants has not been on an NBA roster since the Minnesota Timberwolves traded him to the Sacramento Kings in 2009. After 24 games in Sacramento, he expected to garner interest during free agency. However, he didn’t receive the offers he was looking for and now McCants has struggled to find work even at the league minimum.

The guard was active for last night’s game, but did not play. He has nine games left to prove himself as he tries to earn an NBA call up.

McCants’ return to Texas is a desperation move that is surprising based on comments he made last month regarding the D-League.

"The Development League is nothing but what my agent told me is a plea from the league saying, ‘We want you to show humility to get back in (the NBA),’" he said last month.

McCants is back, but whether he shows humility or lands on an NBA roster remains to be seen.