I don't view it as vindictive punishment, unless there is

some precedent for a player who quit a team mid-season and dropped out of school to receive an award postseason. Is that a thing? If a high school football player drops out of school in the middle of the season, would the coach bring him back to campus for the postseason banquet and give him a championship ring? You tell me.

You're probably right that it may not have been practical for Bryant to attend classes after quitting the team, due to his notoriety. But if a lower level player tapped out mid-season (perhaps to focus on his studies, or just couldn't handle the physical toll) but still remained a member of the student body then I would consider him to be eligible for postseason awards such as a championship ring. That's just my own opinion about where I would draw the line, I probably shouldn't have speculated about what Dabo would do in that situation.