Tilmon is doing nothing illegal or in violation. NOTHING. It is perfectly legal, as it should be, that a player can ask to be released. You are trying to make a case that because he signed an LOI he can't ask out or he should not ask out or he should stay with UI. That is not the case.
Because there was a buyout in Underwood's contract it is OK, versus if there wasn't it would not be OK? The buyout just protects the University, it is not that if the buyout did not exist Underwood would not leave. C'mon, if Underwood did not have a buyout, he would still leave, just that OSU would get nothing.
There is really no difference. In case of Underwood, the penalty for leaving is a buyout, in case of Tilmon, the penalty would be not play basketball next year. Yet, the NCAA allows players to ask for their release, and if that release is granted, the NCAA has no issue. The NLI also has nothing to do with enrolling at Mizzou or any other school. Tilmon could do that tomorrow, just that without the release, he can't play basketball because of NCAA rules, not because of "honor" or that "it is not right."