St. John’s is done playing nice with the NCAA.
Sources told The Post Friday the university has retained high-powered attorney Robert Orr on behalf of center Orlando Sanchez, who has been unable to gain eligibility clearance from the governing body of collegiate sports. Sanchez, a 6-foot-9 center from the Dominican Republic who is 24, has made several “financial hardship” appeals to the NCAA to no avail.
The Red Storm (16-10, 8-6 Big East) are on the cusp of a possible NCAA Tournament berth. The one glaring weakness on the team is the lack of a true post player. St. John’s only has four regular-season games remaining plus the Big East Conference tournament and whatever postseason tournament extends an invitation.
A source told The Post the university opted to take this step because it expects to have Sanchez back for next season as well. Sanchez last played at Monroe College of New Rochelle with current St. John’s guard Marc Antoine Bourgault, helping the team to the Division II Final Four. He played for the Dominican National Team, appearing in one game, which counts against one season of eligibility.
Frustrated by the NCAA’s arbitrary rulings and tedious processes, St. John’s brought in a hired gun. Orr, of North Carolina, is one of the nation’s top attorneys in NCAA Eligibility matters. Earlier this season, he represented freshman Shabazz Muhammad of UCLA, who was initially denied clearance.
A call and text to Orr were not immediately returned. St. John’s is poised to release documentation supporting Sanchez’s case.
Whereas Shabazz’s case concerned possible payments, Sanchez’s case is a complex one that centers on financial hardship created by a fragmented parental arrangement. Sanchez was raised, at various times, by his mother, grandparents and an uncle in Spain. He was resigned to getting a carpenter’s certificate and working in the Dominican Republic.
But when his basketball talents were noticed, he began a circuitous route to the United States. St. John’s has been trying to prove even though Sanchez is 24, he should receive relief from the NCAA’s age ruling that says a player loses one year of eligibility for every year over the age of 21. If St. John’s and Sanchez can prove financial hardship, he can regain eligibility.
lenn.robbins@nypost.com