The KHSAA initially ruled Harmon ineligible in August. Harmon's dad, Mike, told the Louisville Courier-Journal that his son was initially ruled ineligible because of the KHSAA’s Bylaw 6, which states all varsity athletes must sit out one year after transferring.
The bylaw provides plenty of exceptions, the most common being “a bona fide change of residence” in which the athlete moves or a divorce by the athlete’s parents that leads to a change of residence. Bylaw 6 also states that the KHSAA may still require an athlete to sit out a year if “the change in schools is motivated in whole or part by a desire to participate in athletics at the new school.”
The Harmons appealed the ruling, but the hearing officer recommended that the decision be upheld. KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett this week upheld that decision. Lovett said the next step in the appeals process is getting the case before a judge, but he said that decision can only be made by the Harmon family.
Lovett said the Harmon family has the option of getting a lawyer and having their case heard in Marshall Circuit Court. If a judge were to rule in their favor, Harmon would be immediately eligible. However, Lovett says the KHSAA could appeal that ruling.
Lovett said if Harmon remains ineligible for the season, there's still a chance he could play at Rupp Arena, if the Marshals win the 1st Region Tournament. Harmon's ineligibility started after the last game he played at Adair County on March 5, 2018. His first day of eligibility would be on March 6 of 2019, the first day of the boys state tournament.
Without Harmon in the lineup this season, the Marshals are still expected to field a strong team. Several players from last year's team that made it to the regional semifinals return, including Tyler Powell, Jonathan Stokes, Jay Nimmo, Bryce Flatt and Austin Riley.
Marshall County is the fourth stop in four years for Harmon. He played at Antioch (TN) Lighthouse Christian as a seventh-grader, Bowling Green as an eighth-grader, where he won a state title, and Adair County as a freshman. He enrolled at MCHS earlier this summer.
Harmon, a 5'10" sophomore guard and five-star recruit, currently has offers to play college basketball at several big-time schools including Alabama, Auburn, Creighton, Jacksonville State, Missouri, New Mexico State, Saint Louis, SMU, Stephen F. Austin, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Western Kentucky.
