Still, it came as a surprise to Tim Izzo when Hauser's appeal for immediate eligibility was denied by the NCAA Wednesday night.
“Joey did have a strong case," Izzo told reporters Thursday. "I am devastated, if you want to know the truth."
So devastated, in fact, that Izzo said he resigned from the board of the National Association of Basketball Coaches out of frustration with the "arbitrary" decisions handed down by the NCAA in cases such as Hauser's.
"It was difficult for me,” Izzo said. “The NABC is very important to me.”
Hauser, a 6'9 forward, averaged 9.7 points, 5.3 rebounds and shot over 42 percent from three in his freshman season at Marquette. He would have given the highly-regarded Spartans another talented scorer.
Instead, he'll have to watch this season from the bench.
He'll be eligible to play for the Spartans in 2020-21 as a redshirt sophomore.