Massoma Endene out of NCAA eligibility, turns to freestyle
The former Hawkeye transferred to Little Rock chasing one more season and will not get one.
Three-time NCAA Division III champion Massoma Endene is officially out of NCAA eligibility, per Justin Basch. Endene transferred to Little Rock earlier this year hoping to compete for one final season, and Basch reports he will not have any eligibility left to use up. He stays in Little Rock and moves to the freestyle circuit.
That is the whole of it from the only account reporting it. Basch did not say what the eligibility ruling turned on, and nobody else has put a reason on the record, so treat the why as unanswered for now.
What the move means
Endene is a rare DIII name with a Division I stop on the resume. He wrestled at Iowa before the transfer to Little Rock, and the three DIII titles are the part of the file that travels. None of that requires a college singlet to stay useful, which is the practical read on a guy who is now pointed at senior freestyle instead of a college lineup.
For Little Rock, it is one fewer experienced body available for the season. For Endene, the calendar in front of him is open freestyle rather than a march toward a conference tournament and an NCAA bid.
The line from Basch
"For now, he'll remain in Little Rock, where he will compete on the Freestyle circuit" is how Basch framed the next step, and the phrasing leaves room for that to change.
For now, he'll remain in Little Rock, where he will compete on the Freestyle circuit!
Our take, the interesting version of this story is the one that plays out on a freestyle mat in the next six months. A three-time DIII champ with Big Ten training time is not a typical entry at an open or a Senior level qualifier, and the results will say quickly whether this is a career pivot or a holding pattern.
Watch for Endene's first freestyle entry and for any further detail on the eligibility decision from Little Rock or from Basch.