Mike Griffith of The Knoxville News Sentinel is reporting that while doctors at IU cleared him to play, school administrators will not clear Emmanuel Negedu to play for the Hoosiers:

Former Tennessee basketball player Emmanuel Negedu said Indiana University doctors cleared him to return to play athletically, but the school’s administration declined.

Negedu said he was disappointed with the news, but was not prepared to discuss his situation any further on Thursday.

The report also mentioned that New Mexico, UTEP, Nebraska, UNLV, Arizona and Memphis are showing interest in Negedu and that despite the news from IU, the 6-7 forward still hopes to play next season.

While Negedu would have provided a boost to the IU front court, the potential risk of adding a player who suffered a cardiac arrest less than a year ago was too much to overlook.

As a freshman at Tennessee, Negedu averaged 7.2 minutes, 1.9 rebounds and 1.7 points in 33 games.

Emmanuel Negedu, the 6-7, 218-pound forward who chose Tennessee over Indiana, Georgia Tech and Memphis back in the spring of 2008, was on campus today in Bloomington.

Negedu collapsed in September of last year after suffering a cardiac arrest and has not been given clearance to play at the University of Tennessee.

However, Negedu was given clearance by a doctor in California, sparking speculation that he could leave Tennessee and attempt to play at another school.

He was rated the No. 40 player overall in the 2008 class by Rivals.com and averaged 1.9 points, 1.7 rebounds in 7.2 minutes per game as a freshman.

Gary Parrish of CBS Sportsline got the news straight from the mouth of Negedu, who also considered Indiana, Memphis and Georgia Tech. Not a huge shocker by any means, as the whispers the past few weeks seemed to indicate that Tennessee and Memphis were the schools to beat. Ultimately, Negedu’s relationship with the Volunteer coaching staff sealed the deal.

As much I like to follow recruiting, there are some things that drive me crazy. One of those things is when a recruit, parent, coach, representative or handler takes a list of schools and discusses it with a reporter. Take Emmanuel Negedu’s coach at Brewster Academy, Jason Smith, for example. Smith talked to Adam Zagoria of the Zagsblog about the four schools in the running for Negedu and the result was a big pile of nothing:

Indiana has tremendous tradition and passion for basketball. The previous staff recruited Emmanuel, so he was familiar with the University, but it was a great chance for him to get to know Coach (Tom) Crean and hear about his style and track record of player development. They are rebuilding and would offer a shot at immediate playing time. He is very familiar with Bloomington, since he lived there and played for Indiana Elite. A few of his former teammates at IU definitely make it an attractive option. Emmanuel enjoyed getting to know Coach Crean. It’s very evident he’s a high-energy, upbeat coach who Emmanuel reports works non-stop…constant motion.

Indiana has tradition and passion for basketball? Who knew? I know some of you are waiting anxiously on a decision from Negedu, but all signs point to Tennessee or Memphis. Luckily we have Kyle Taber* back to hold down the paint.

{HT: Basketblog}

*For the record, Kyle Taber is a fine lad who I enjoy watching play basketball.