The legal battles in college basketball continue to rage on, and it seems as if the NCAA won a major fight on Friday.

The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed and vacated the nationwide ruling in Wisne v. NCAA, dealing a very decisive blow to the fifth-year players across the country who are looking to gain eligibility. The injunction had been granted on July 31 and stayed on August 21, so it was not in effect between then and Friday’s ruling.

Some members of the class of 2022 will be able to shrug off this ruling. Meanwhile, UNC’s seven-foot center Cameron Fens may not have that option.

No Protection To Fall Back On

Some athletes across the country with injunctions from other state lawsuits still remain eligible while those cases play out. That protection is what is keeping a number of fifth-years on the floor in the beginning stages of this college basketball season.

However, Fens does not have an active injunction in his own state lawsuit. The seven-foot South Dakota transfer was one of 19 plaintiffs in Washington et al. v. NCAA, a court case in Tennessee that initially cleared his path to play in Chapel Hill. However, the Tennessee Court of Appeals stayed the injunction that protected his fifth year, leaving him ineligible unless further court action takes place.

Why Wisne Mattered

That made Wisne Fens’ broadest remaining hope of becoming eligible. It was the eligibility lawsuit that was filed as a class action, meaning that a ruling in the players' favor would have applied to all class of 2022 athletes who finished their fourth season of eligibility this spring.

Instead, "The decision hinged over what judges said was the plaintiffs' inability to define the market for players." Still, there is no sweeping relief coming anytime soon, and Fens’ fate will now rest on the single Tennessee case.

What It Means for Carolina

As I wrote yesterday, Fens’ absence on the floor is already painfully noticeable for many Carolina fans. The Tar Heels were outrebounded 41-32 by Western Carolina despite having the height advantage over the Catamounts.

Fens averaged 8.7 rebounds last season, the exact production that Carolina is desperately needing in their starting lineup. With Fens still ineligible and remaining on the sideline, the pressure may continue to build for Sayon Keita and Jarin Stevenson in the frontcourt.

Ultimately, the court ruling on Friday does not end Fens’ fight towards eligibility, but it does take away a “safety net” of sorts. Unless something changes in the Tennessee ruling, Carolina will need to find answers for the glass without their seven-footer.