The North Carolina Tar Heels had a need for some frontcourt depth as Michael Malone and his staff continued to build their first roster. They were able to add center Cameron Fens to the roster back in early August as he was expected to be granted a fifth year. But now, the Tar Heels are potentially going to be without the center this year.
On Wednesday, the Tennessee Court of Appeals has stayed the injunction previously granted to the plaintiff athletes pending appeal. That means players in the filing are now ineligible unless the Court of Appeals ultimately rules in their favor. That unfortunately includes Fens, who was part of the Tennessee appeal.
Fens is currently ineligible, but he’s not officially ineligible yet. I know it’s hard to follow these things, especially with the court rulings. But for Fens to be eligible, the next court ruling will have to go in his favor ahead of the 2026-27 college basketball season.
This all stems from the new five-in-five rule that was implemented weeks ago. Since then, players have been suing the NCAA for an extra year of eligibility. That includes former UNC basketball standout Seth Trimble, who has committed to Louisville. This will certainly be something to watch in terms of Fens’ situation, but it’s not looking good for his eligibility for the upcoming season.
