CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Miami forward Elton Tyler was not permitted to enroll in fall semester classes, meaning he can't practice with the team and will likely miss at least the first 15 games of the season.
Tyler, the top returning scorer from the team that reached the regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament last season, was suspended in August for undisclosed academic reasons. He was initially expected to join the Hurricanes at the end of the fall semester and miss only six games.
But Tyler won't be allowed to practice with the team until the spring semester starts on Jan. 15, according to Wednesday's editions of The Palm Beach Post.
That means the earliest Tyler could return is a Jan. 16 game at Providence -- 15 games into the Hurricanes' 27-game schedule. If that's the case, Tyler could possibly be redshirted for his senior season.
Miami coach Perry Clark, hired to replace NBA-bound Leonard Hamilton on July 6, said no final decision has been made on Tyler's status.
"I think it would be unfair for me to say I'm going in any direction without having really sat with him and talked with him before that," Clark said. "The worst thing I can do is go back and forth -- maybe we'll sit him out, maybe we'll play him."
Tyler could not be reached for comment on Tuesday, the paper reported.
The 6-foot-9 Tyler averaged 10.1 points and 5.5 rebounds last season, when the Hurricanes finished 23-11 and won the Big East Conference regular-season championship. He led the Hurricanes in shooting at 51.2 percent and in blocked shots with 34.
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