SEC blocks CJ Gunn from Mizzou season opener

CJ Gunn ruled ineligible ahead of Mizzou Hoop's first game of the year.

Missouri guard CJ Gunn will not play for the Tigers this season.

The Southeastern Conference ruled him ineligible, coach Dennis Gates confirmed Monday.

The decision came less than 48 hours before Missouri's season opener against Cleveland State.

Gunn, a transfer guard, had spent months fighting for a sixth year of eligibility.

The dispute centered on his participation in three games with the Canadian Elite Basketball League in May.

Gunn signed a professional contract with the Calgary Surge.

He appeared in two games for the Surge before being released.

He received $524 in compensation for his time in the CEBL.

Gunn repaid the money.

The SEC determined that did not matter.

The league ruled that Gunn's participation in professional basketball violated its eligibility rules.

The SEC passed a rule this summer that prevents any basketball or football players from returning to play in the SEC if they signed a professional contract after enrolling in college.

By the letter of that rule, Gunn is ineligible to compete.

Gunn's case was up for dispute for weeks.

He had previously been granted temporary eligibility by a Boone County judge.

That temporary eligibility was then extended until 5 P.M. on Nov. 2 following a canceled hearing.

The SEC's final ruling closed that legal path.

Gates received word from the league office Monday.

The decision came to a head as Missouri's deadline to formally submit its roster to the SEC loomed Monday evening.

No appeal is on the table.

Gunn is not eligible to be drafted into the G League, which had its draft in October, because the SEC's ruling was finalized too late.

Gunn was a class of 2022 recruit.

He spent two seasons each at Indiana and DePaul.

He started 54 games in two years for the Blue Demons.

At DePaul, he averaged 13 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

He shot 50% from the floor and 31.5% from the three-point line.

90% of his field goal attempts were from three-point range.

He won the three-point contest at this year's Final Four.

Gunn had pre-draft workouts with both the Indiana Pacers and Golden State Warriors.

He went undrafted.

Following that, he signed with the Calgary Surge.

Gunn was not expected to be a starter for Missouri.

He would have been a depth piece on a team with Top 25 aspirations.

The SEC's ruling on Gunn came down to "post-enrollment" status.

This is the same standard the league applied to RJ Luis at LSU.

Luis left college after 2025 and was trying to play one final season for Will Wade's program.

The SEC stood firm on its stance.

The league likely did so not just because of its rule, but to reinforce a message to LSU.

Although Gunn's situation is notably different from Luis', the SEC clearly was not going to allow for any infringement on its new rule.

If Gunn were given an exception, LSU would have understandably tried to do the same.

That could have brought yet another lawsuit.

The Gunn news was not the only roster issue for Missouri.

Projected starting big man Jaylen Carey is indefinitely suspended.

Gates told CBS Sports that Carey's violation would not jeopardize his standing with the team.

The sit-out is not expected to be long.

It is unclear if Carey will be able to return in time for the game Friday against Saint Louis.

Forward Luke Northweather is unavailable for the Cleveland State matchup.

The SEC's decision leaves Missouri without a guard it had hoped would contribute to its rotation.