Miami junior Dewan Hernandez announced Monday that he would withdraw from school and prepare for the NBA draft after the NCAA declared him ineligible for the rest of the season and part of next season.
The NCAA ruled that Hernandez would have to sit out the remainder of the 2018-19 season and 40 percent of next season for entering into an agreement and accepting benefits from an agent.
Everyone has their own route... Trust The Process 🙏🏽🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/jYjStvyhNr
— Dewan Hernandez (@DewanGoesFor_20) January 28, 2019
Hernandez has been held out of competition by the school since the start of the season while the NCAA looked into potential rules violations involving Hernandez and an agreement with Christian Dawkins. Dawkins, who worked as a runner for NBA agent Andy Miller but was looking to start his own agency, was one of three defendants found guilty of fraud in October's trial into college basketball corruption.
According to the NCAA, Hernandez agreed to receive monthly payments from an agent (Dawkins) and accepted other benefits from him as well.
Miami athletic director Blake James disagreed with the NCAA's ruling.
My statement regarding the Dewan Hernandez decision: pic.twitter.com/VVL3oJFvEm
— Blake James (@CanesAllAccess) January 28, 2019
ESPN's Mark Schlabach reported in early November that Hernandez was one of 19 players listed by Dawkins in an emailed business plan. The plan shows Dawkins planned to pay Hernandez $500 per month from September 2017 through January 2018, then $1,000 per month until April 2018.
If Hernandez had left Miami after last season, he wouldn't have had to pay the money back, according to the email. The payments would have been converted into a loan if Hernandez returned to Miami for his junior season.
There was no evidence in the email that payments were made, or that Hernandez had knowledge of the plan, and a source told Schlabach that Hernandez did not agree to any sort of payment structure.
Hernandez, a former five-star recruit and McDonald's All-American, averaged 11.4 points and 6.7 rebounds last season.
