Roddy Gayle Jr. was granted another temporary restraining order, officially clearing him to return to action in Sunday’s exhibition against Houston.
“We’re excited about (Gayle) having an opportunity to compete with us,” Mike Boynton said. “We think what he brings is invaluable in terms of experience, but also from a skill standpoint on the perimeter. (He’s) gonna be a great addition. Obviously, he’s been with us most of the summer, so it’s not like a new thing for our team. But just excited to see him out there on Sunday against Houston.”
Gayle’s addition has felt like a long time coming, but it wasn’t always that way for him. Even with rumblings in April about the NCAA’s plan to adopt the five-in-five eligibility rule, Gayle didn’t see a path to donning a maize jersey in the fall.
However, without being drafted or signing a deal with an NBA team, choosing to hit the courts to return to college ball made sense, especially after checking in with his peers.
“I feel like ever since this had been a possibility, everybody reached out,” Gayle said. “They had pretty words and said that I could make a really big impact here. And that was one thing that was really big for me.
“When I decided when I wanted to come back, I asked the players, I asked Oscar (Goodman), people in my similar position, ‘How do you feel about me coming back?’ and they were very supportive. I felt I could really help the team and them as well. So that was really big to me, to have not only confirmation (from) the coach but the players as well.”
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