RJ Godfrey and 15 others withdraw from NCAA eligibility lawsuit

RJ Godfrey, who plays forward for the Arizona Wildcats, has dropped his lawsuit against the NCAA seeking an extra year to play college basketball. He and 15 other plaintiffs withdrew their names from the Godfrey vs. NCAA lawsuit on Wednesday, leaving the team’s frontcourt depth in limbo just days before the season opener.

The sudden exit leaves Arizona scrambling for answers on the interior. With the team scheduled to open its regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, against UCLA at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, head coach Tommy Lloyd faces an immediate roster crunch.

The Legal Bottleneck That Forced the Exit

The lawsuit, originally filed by Godfrey in the state of Georgia where he played for Clemson over the past four seasons, became a logistical dead end for active players. The case was stayed at the request of the NCAA, effectively locking Godfrey and his fellow plaintiffs out of competition while the legal process stalled.

With oral arguments in Chauncey Wiggins’ Georgia 5-in-5 lawsuit (Godfrey vs. NCAA) not scheduled until Jan. 12, the Gonzaga wing and other player plaintiffs have withdrawn from the case. Still waiting to see what Wiggins’ next course of action is.

— https://x.com/TheoLawson_SR/status/2115587181100376568

Compounding the frustration for the student-athletes, oral arguments in the case were not scheduled until Jan. 12.

The legal battle stems from the NCAA’s new five-in-five legislation. The rule granted all student-athletes five years of eligibility but explicitly excluded those who graduated high school in 2022. Godfrey and the other plaintiffs secured a temporary restraining order on August 5, just three days after he committed to Arizona. That brief window of clearance closed on Sept. 9 when the Georgia Court of Appeals stayed the case, keeping him sidelined.

What the Roster Shakeup Means for Arizona

Arizona went 3-0 in exhibition games this October, but the games made one reality glaringly obvious: the Wildcats need a rugged, physical rebounder on the interior alongside preseason All-American Mo Krivas. Godfrey’s physical profile made him an ideal fit in Lloyd’s system, and his presence alongside Krivas, Ivan Kharchenkov, and guards Caleb Holt and Derek Dixon would have formed one of the nation’s most formidable starting lineups.

Los angeles california jaden bradley of the arizona wildcats drives against rj godfrey of the

Without him, the Wildcats must patch together the power forward position. Head coach Tommy Lloyd will have to rely on Ugnius Jarusevicius, a transfer from Nebraska, alongside freshman Maxsim Brnovic, Evan Otten coming in from Idaho State, and Kharchenkov logging minutes out of his natural spot. Brnovic flashed real athleticism and perimeter shooting during the exhibition slate, but the drop-off in interior muscle is undeniable.

It remains entirely unclear as of this writing what Godfrey’s next steps will be in his attempt to take the floor for the Wildcats this season. With tip-off in Las Vegas just days away, the program can only hope for an expedited path to clearance.