Slaughter earns recommendation from UAAP committee

The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) eligibility committee has recommended that Ateneo center Greg Slaughter be allowed to play in the coming men's basketball wars, which opens on July 10 at the Araneta Coliseum. Slaughter, who played for the Pilipinas-Smart Gilas prior to the 74th UAAP, got the nod of the five-member UAAP eligibility committee, chaired by University of the Philippines' Lailani Gonzales after a Tuesday meeting. Technically, Slaughter's eligibility and the rest of the players in the UAAP have yet to be finalized as the recommendations will still be elevated to the UAAP Board. The board will decide with finality on July 5 whether to uphold or deny the recommendations made by the eligibility committee. "The recommendations of the eligibility committee will be elevated to the UAAP Board where we will decide with finality on who is eligible or not," said UAAP board member Junel Baculi of National University. "In the board meeting, anything can still happen," Baculi said. Slaughter's status was questioned after he played in the PBA when Gilas joined as a guest team in the pro league's second conference, the Commissioners Cup. There were contentions that Slaughter's PBA stint is a violation of UAAP rules because he had played in a commercial league while still undergoing residency with Ateneo after being recruited from the University of Visayas Green Lancers. - Reuben Terrado/JVP, GMA News