Former Wildcat men’s basketball player Bradyn Hubbard is one of the athletes affected by the recent lawsuit, Wisne v. NCAA, which ruled that the high school class of 2022 athletes would get a fifth year after the NCAA’s recent eligibility changes.

In June, the NCAA adopted the five-year eligibility rule, which gave athletes five years of eligibility and eliminated redshirts.

After the rule change, a group of athletes from the 2022 high school class filed a lawsuit against the NCAA, asking for a fifth year under the new rules since many exhausted their eligibility this past school year.

The athletes requested a preliminary emergency injunction to play during the 2026-27 season. The court granted it on July 31, and shortly after, the NCAA appealed the court’s decision and asked the Tenth Circuit of Appeals to stay the injunction.

If given the extra year of eligibility, he would not take the court in an ACU uniform. Hubbard announced on August 30 on his Instagram that he had committed to a fellow United Athletic Conference school, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.

He averaged 16.2 PPG last season, leading the way for the Wildcats. After the conclusion of last season, he was out of eligibility after playing two seasons at ACU and two at Connors State.

Head coach Brette Tanner told him to enter the portal after last season, believing that if his name was not placed in the portal, he would not be granted a fifth-year option.

“So, he did, and he listened, and we talked throughout the summer, not really about coming back,” Tanner said.  “You know, when there’s just a time where it’s kind of like it’s just time.”

Tanner said he’s happy Hubbard has found a home and place to potentially continue his playing career despite having to possibly coach against him twice this season.

Hubbard is on UA Little Rock’s online roster but is ineligible to play this season, but that could change with the ongoing lawsuit, though the exact timetable is unclear as to when the final ruling will come.