Since 2.1 came out, sprite rips have gotten more tolerable since they're usually accompanied by interesting gameplay and mechanics not normally found in SRB2. Regardless, the main thing the judges look for in custom content is the effort put into said custom content. Sprite rips were originally considered something effortless and not worth playing because the creator wouldn't have done anything else but copy and paste sprites into a wad. Nowadays, as long as there is effort in making something interesting, original, or unique to play, it can still get out into Releases as long as you actually put it in Submissions first. This is true even if the content in question isn't particularly nice looking, either.
But yes, you should still be able to submit your creation to the Submissions forum and if the judges are happy with what you've made, it'll be put into Releases for everyone to enjoy and/or criticize. If they weren't particularly okay with what you made and scrapped it, they'll give you a reason as to why and from there you can improve on whatever it is that needs fixing.
Also if you haven't read the rules, do so to avoid being infracted for submitting something against said rules just to be on the safe side.