Villanova's Yarou cleared to play in season opener

Published Nov. 11, 2009 12:54 a.m. ET

foxsports

Villanova coach Jay Wright told FOXSports.com that he is working with the NCAA to resolve any potential questions regarding the eligibility of freshman Mouphtaou Yarou, but that the West African native is cleared and will play in Friday's season opener against Farleigh Dickinson.

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The 6-foot-10 Yarou is considered one of the top freshmen in the country.

Sporting News questioned his eligibility in a report on Tuesday morning that said Yarou was listed on a FIBA Web site as having played in a 2007 African Cup tournament.

"He's been cleared by the NCAA's Eligibility Center, and we've got his passport, I-20 and birth certificate," Wright said.

Wright said each document has Yarou as 19 years old and not 23 — as the international Web site listed back in 2007. The FIBA Web site also misspelled his name and hometown.

"We're taking this seriously and working with the NCAA on it," Wright said. "But as of right now, we don't have any reason not to play him on Friday."

Wright said Yarou, who came to the United States in 2008, told him he never played in the African Cup tournament and hadn't heard of the Renaissance BBC team that listed him on its roster.