St. John’s University basketball player Keyshawn Hall secured a temporary victory on Tuesday in his legal battle against the NCAA, allowing him to continue playing while the dispute over his eligibility is resolved. At a hearing in Queens Supreme Court, Judge Joseph J. Risi declined to vacate Hall’s temporary restraining order, thereby maintaining his eligibility pending a decision on a preliminary injunction. The timing for a final ruling remains unclear.

Hall, a 6-foot-7 wing who transferred from Auburn, is part of the 2022 high school class that was excluded from the NCAA’s revised eligibility rule allowing five years of athletic participation across as many seasons. Hall’s attorney, Brian Shoot, contended that the NCAA’s decision to apply the new five-year eligibility provision to other classes but not to the 2022 group violated contractual agreements.

During the hearing, Shoot referenced several recent cases in New York where judges ruled in favor of athletes challenging the NCAA’s eligibility restrictions. The NCAA attempted to argue that Hall’s legal challenge was an example of “forum shopping,” highlighting his prior participation in a larger case in Ohio alongside other 2022 recruits. It sought to have the restraining order lifted on those grounds, but Judge Risi rejected this argument.

Shoot emphasized the inconsistency in the NCAA’s policy, noting that athletes who enrolled in college in 2021, 2023, or 2024 would be granted five years of eligibility due to changes implemented after the COVID-19 pandemic. He questioned why the NCAA singled out the 2022 cohort for exclusion, stressing that no clear rationale had been provided for treating this group differently from others.

The NCAA has not publicly commented on the court’s decision. The legal dispute continues as the parties await further proceedings to determine Hall’s eligibility status for upcoming seasons.