There’s a bit of a controversy brewing out on the Main Line. It seems that Mouphtaou Yarou, the highly regarded 6-10 freshman forward who’s expected to make an immediate impact for Your Highly Ranked Wildcats, has some age issues not unlike what had happened recently to La Salle’s Vernon Goodridge.

According to this story by Mike Decourcy of the Sporting News, Yarou was listed as being 23 years old in 2007 when he played in an African club tournament, while ‘Nova’s web site lists him as being only 19.

More after the jump.

Here’s more from DeCourcy:

If it were the same person and the FIBA age is correct, this could jeopardize Yarou’s college basketball eligibility. NCAA rule 14.2.3.5 states that in each year an athlete enters any organized competition beyond his 21st birthday, the athlete sacrifices one year of eligibility.

If Villanova’s Yarou competed in the Africa Cup for Men’s Clubs, he would lose one year. He would lose another year for the season spent at Massanutten Military Academy in Virginia and another for a season at Montrose Christian Academy in Maryland. Were it to be established Yarou participated in any organized competition between 2005 and 2007, he would have no remaining eligibility.

It’s also possible the NCAA could rule him ineligible for misstating his birthdate.

The story also quotes Gordon Finch, Villanova’s associate athletic director for compliance, as describing the discrepancy as “a typo.”

“We’ve got his passport, his naturalization papers and his international student athlete form, all of which don’t have that as his birthdate,” Finch said.

The blog Ballin’ is a Habit has some doubts about this, adding that “the risks of playing Yarou without looking into his eligibility could be devastating to the Wildcats ‘09-’10 season.”

One thing working in ‘Nova’s (and Yarou’s) favor is that both the Big East and the NCAA left the investigation up to Villanova. And Dana O’Neil of ESPN.com has reported this afternoon that coach Jay Wright said Yarou will indeed play in the Main Liners’ Friday night opener against Fairleigh Dickinson.

Hmm.

Links: Villanova ranked No. 5, No. 6, No. 9, etc. [BIG FIVE POST]
On Goodridge, way to go NCAA [BIG FIVE POST]
Yarou’s age an issue? [Sporting News]
What’s ‘Nova’s risk here? [Ballin' is a Habit]
Yarou to play [ESPN.com]
Photo credit: [Montrose Christian Academy]