NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Seton Hall's Lawrence Facing DWI, Suspended Indefinitely

Chas Rich — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:27:00 EST

Filed under: Seton Hall, Big East, Police Blotter

The only good news in this story is that somehow Seton Hall's Keon Lawrence did not kill anyone. This, despite causing a two-car accident while driving the wrong way in the express lanes of the Garden State Parkway.

Lawrence's blood-alcohol level was over the .08 limit -- the exact level not known -- and was charged with driving while intoxicated. Not only that, but Lawrence was driving with a suspended license and had two traffic warrants outstanding. The accident occurred after 3AM Monday morning.

Head coach Bobby Gonzalez suspended Lawrence, who was expected to play this season after transferring from Missouri, indefinitely.
Somehow, Lawrence claims to be as ignorant of the DWI charge and anything other than being in an accident.

Reached on his cellphone late Monday, he acknowledged that he had been in an accident early Monday, but denied that he had been charged with driving while intoxicated.

"They didn't tell me that, and they didn't tell my mother that, either," he said. "I was in an accident. That's about it."

Lawrence transferred from Missouri and sat out last season. He has been seen as a talented player, but with character issues that caused a conflict in Missouri. This action, along with the suspended license only gives credence to the character perception.

Seton Hall was widely believed to be a potential "dark horse" team in the Big East. They had added some depth and talent with transfers like Lawrence and Herb Pope from New Mexico State. The question was whether the character issues with both and some of the other players would sabotage this team. The early returns indicate that the team are not looking favorable for the talent trumping character.

Seton Hall's Lawrence Facing DWI, Suspended Indefinitely originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:27:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arkansas Basketball Players Face New Inquiry Into Rape Allegations

Chas Rich — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:43:00 EST

Filed under: Arkansas, SEC, Campus, Police Blotter

A serious situation at the University of Arkansas seemed to resolve itself last month when it was determined that there was insufficient evidence to file rape charges against three unnamed Arkansas Razorback basketball players. For a program that has had numerous off-the-court distractions and dysfunctional coaching searches, this was a small relief not to have it hanging over its head when the season got underway.

So much for that plan. Questions quickly arose surrounding the prosecutor that determined there was insufficient evidence. Now the Razorbacks are looking at a case that's being reopened by a special prosecutor appointed by the state, just as the season opener looms.

John Threet is not only the Washington County prosecutor who found insufficient evidence, but he is the son-in-law of Frank Broyles, the legendary and now retired Arkansas athletic director. Not to mention he has a brother-in-law that is an athletic department spokesperson. A couple of rather close ties to the Razorback athletic department that could definitely raise conflict-of-interest issues.

Sure enough, the attorney for the woman making the accusations found them troubling enough to petition a county judge to appoint a special prosecutor. Prosecutor Threet filed his own motion in support of a special prosecutor and the judge issued the order the same day.

The attorney for the alleged victim claims that there is new physical evidence that supports his client's claim. The problem with the case, according to the prosecutor's office, remains the same. A lack of evidence showing force or a lack of consent. Witnesses are not forthcoming.

The special prosecutor, ultimately, may be limited to finding the process flawed, but not the determination.

Arkansas Basketball Players Face New Inquiry Into Rape Allegations originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:43:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor Injured in Apparent Altercation With Football Team

Terrance Harris — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:23:00 EST

Filed under: Kansas, Big 12, Injuries, Police Blotter

Kansas' basketball team may have an early-season problem, but Kansas' athletic department may have an even bigger mess on its hands.

The Kansas football and men's basketball teams are at odds, resulting in at least two skirmishes Tuesday and another early Wednesday morning. Sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor suffered a thumb injury in one of the altercations and likely will not be available when the Jayhawks begin practicing next month.

The situation is serious enough that it demanded the attention of the school's administration, as well as basketball coach Bill Self and football coach Mark Mangino, on Wednesday.

"We are aware of an incident that occurred last evening that involved members of the football and men's basketball teams," said KU athletic director Lew Perkins in a released statement Wednesday. "I am disappointed that some of our student-athletes put themselves in this position, and it's something that I am taking very seriously.

"I continue to gather facts about this incident, and I plan to address this issue personally with both teams. I also know that Bill Self and Mark Mangino are working together to address it, and I am confident that they will handle the situation appropriately with their teams."

It's unclear what started the disagreement, but it's clear things have escalated. The initial skirmish took place Tuesday afternoon at the student union building, but the trouble spilled over into some of the dorms.

According to the website of the The Daily Kansan, the student newspaper, basketball players Sherron Collins, Mario Little, brothers Marcus and Markieff Morris and Taylor were placed at the scene, as were members of the football team, including receiver Dezmon Briscoe and starting cornerback Chris Harris.

Taylor, who was sent to the hospital and treated for a dislocated thumb, was the only athlete known to need medical attention. The police were called but no arrests were made.

In attempt to defuse the explosive situation and show some type of unified front, the Kansas athletic department met with several members of both teams Wednesday, and they released a combined statement about the incident. The combined statement comes from basketball players Cole Aldrich and Collins and football members Kerry Meier, Todd Reesing, Jake Sharp and Darrell Stuckey.

"We realize that over the past couple of days we've let a disagreement between a few guys grow bigger than it ever should have," the statement read. "We're embarrassed about that.

"Now we want everyone to know that we have met and talked it out. We realize we're all Jayhawks. We're proud of what both teams have accomplished."

This is certainly a first step with the members of each respective programs' leadership speaking out against the altercations. But the school has yet to reveal what will happen from here and how the players involved will be disciplined.

"We will handle any discipline regarding this incident internally, and we will have no further comment about it," Perkins' statement said.

Taylor is expected to miss three to four weeks of action due to his injury. Basketball practice is set to begin in the middle of October.

But Taylor's injury could be the just the beginning of the problem Mangino and Self have on their hands. Feuding athletic teams on campus is hardly new, but both of these programs have a great deal riding on their current and upcoming seasons.

The football program is 3-0 in non-conference play and has a chance to win its first Big 12 North Division title this season. The men's hoops team, with a bevvy of returning talent and another big-time incoming class, is expected to start the season as the No.1 team in the country. The 20th-ranked football team hosts Southern Miss on Saturday.

The gathered members of the respective teams pledged to squash the bad blood and move forward.

"We appreciate the support these teams give each other," the players' combined statement continued. "We'll be in the stands rooting for each other like we always have.

"We all wear Kansas on our uniforms, and we're proud of that. We need to act like it. We've met; we're all on the same page, and we will move forward together. The football team is ready to get back to work, focused on Saturday's game against Southern Mississippi, and the basketball team will continue to prepare for another great season."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this story.

Kansas' Tyshawn Taylor Injured in Apparent Altercation With Football Team originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 14:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Arkansas Players Not Charged With Rape

Chas Rich — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:04:00 EST

Filed under: Arkansas, SEC, Police Blotter

You know it has not been the best couple years for a program when the best news these days is that three unnamed Arkansas players will not face charges after being accused of rape. The players were never named, but speculation was rampant as you would expect.

A woman filed charges with the University of Arkansas Police Department, in which she alleged that she was raped at a fraternity party on August 27. The subsequent investigation found inconsistent evidence from witness and the alleged victim herself. Couple that with alcohol being involved, and it was not terribly surprising that the prosecutor declined to pursue the case.

Arkansas has not been the smoothest program since the firing of Stan Heath. There was the failed attempt to hire Billy Gillispie. Repeated rejections from other candidates. The acceptance of the job by Dana Altman, only to have him flee back to Creighton less than 24 hours later, before finally hiring John Pelphrey from South Alabama.

Since then, Pelphrey has had to suspend and dismiss several players. One former player, Patrick Beverley dismissed after the 2008 season, made allegations this spring that others did his school work. Another player, Jason Henry was suspended just before the SEC Tournament and subsequently left the team. This summer the Razorback program also received notice from the NCAA of poor performance on their Academic Progress Report (APR), which only partially relates to the recent turnover of players from the program.

Arkansas Players Not Charged With Rape originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 09 Sep 2009 17:04:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Billy Gillispie Drives Career Off Road With DUI Arrest

Chas Rich — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:08:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, SEC, Coaches, Police Blotter

For Billy Gillispie, the road out of Kentucky isn't getting any easier. Gillispie, who was fired in April after two seasons as Wildcats coach, was arrested on suspicion of DUI.

According to a report by a Lexington television station, Lawrenceburg, Ky., police pulled Gillispie over at 2:45 AM Thursday morning. The 50-year-old coach, who said he was returning from a golf outing, refused to take a breathalyzer or blood test.

This is the third time that Gillispie has been charged with a DUI. He was charged with it in 1999 in Oklahoma, and pleaded down to a lesser charge. In 2003 he was arrested in El Paso, Texas on suspicion of of drunk driving, but the charges were later dropped.

For Gillispie, the formula should've been simple.

Lay low for a year, rehabilitate his image in the media and smooth over the rough edges of his departure from Kentucky. Try to get things quietly settled over the whole contract/no-contract/buyout stuff. Then wait for the offers to come next spring.

But this is not the way for another coach living in Kentucky to try and grab headlines from Rick Pitino and John Calipari.

Gillispie may beat the charge or he may plead guilty to some lesser offense. That is irrelevant to his coaching future. Combine this with his prickly personality and poor relationship with the media while at Kentucky and you have a coach that has done some serious damage to his future.

He can forget about a major conference team being willing to take a chance on him for a while. He will be lucky to get interest from a mid-tier mid-major for the foreseeable future. His coaching acumen and recruiting skills have never been doubted. Everything else, though, is a wreck.

Billy Gillispie Drives Career Off Road With DUI Arrest originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 27 Aug 2009 10:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rick Pitino's PR Team and the $3,000 Lie

Clay Travis — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Louisville, Big East, Coaches, Police Blotter

Every time news breaks, like the Rick Pitino imbroglio did Tuesday night, I always feel a little twinge of sympathy for the lawyer who ends up hurling a semantic argument into the whirlwind of 24-hour news coverage. These days news coverage has room for two opinions: you're right or you're wrong. The shades-of-gray approach doesn't sell.

But that doesn't mean lawyers don't try to split hairs. Think Bill Clinton asking what the meaning of is, is. Inevitably, these hair-splitting defenses blow up. Which brings me to this, according to his lawyer, Rick Pitino didn't pay for Karen Sypher's abortion. Heavens no. What he did was pay for an uninsured woman to get health coverage .... which she then, oh by the way, used to have an abortion. That's a great story except for one flaw, pregnancy is a preexisting condition. So adding health insurance doesn't cover an already existing pregnancy.

Oops.

Bad excuse. But not as bad as the 10 excuses for the $3,000 the legal team considered and rejected. Read on for those.

At moments of crisis like these, I always picture the frenzied public relations team -- which represents a variety of conflicting interests, the university, the coach, the lawyer -- all huddling together to come up with a response that minimizes the damage for everyone. You've got to make sure you repent while protecting yourself from further legal liability, apologize while being humble, and whatever you do, don't take a question.

Don't take questions is the first advice any lawyer gives in these circumstances. I attended a legal seminar about how to deal with media interest for famous clients and the only quote I remember from the entire day was one white-haired lawyer slamming his hand down on the table. "Whatever you do, don't let the damn client take questions. Read the statement and get out."

Not surprisingly, Pitino read his statement and got out without taking questions. Which means we still have an awful lot of things left to be unpacked here. Among them, how can you be certain you're pregnant in two weeks? How can you be so careful in your personal life that you have a designated driver, yet so reckless that you have sex in a restaurant while your designated driver is still there? How many other college coaches are reading these stories right now and thinking, crap, this happened six years ago, I thought I was in the clear. Speaking of which, why not keep paying the extortion fee? The amount of money that Karen Sypher was demanding is miniscule given what Pitino made. Yeah, the truth can set you free, but it can also get you fired. So I guess the truth, more accurately, can get you free time.

Can you imagine the e-mails Kentucky politicians are getting? One public school, Kentucky, gets to demand that another public school, Louisville, fire its coach for an off-court act. So you get to be morally judgmental and it helps your college program? That's a daily double in the South, the only thing better is when the rival church's preacher gets sent up the river for tax evasion.

After all the internal public relations debate, Pitino's lawyer attempted to argue that the $3,000 he gave Sypher was for health insurance and not an abortion. It was a bad argument that made Pitino look worse. Fortunately for Pitino it wasn't as bad as the 10 rejected suggestions for how to explain away the $3,000.

Here goes:

1. It was a down payment for a hit on Christian Laettner.
Even though they starred in that ridiculous commercial this spring, I don't believe that Pitino wouldn't like to give Laettner a nice elbow to the kidney at some point. The charge of the Aminu Timberlake brigade.

This has the added benefit of straining Kentucky political alliances. On the one hand Kentucky fans want Pitino gone, on the other hand, at least the money was going to take out the top nemesis in the state of Kentucky.

2. Abort? I thought she said a port. Portuguese wine, you know, I love it.
Remember when there was a controversy over whether Hillary Clinton called a Jewish campaign worker, "a Jew bastard" or merely yelled, "you bastard." This could be the equivalent. Pitino claims Sypher merely asked for a bottle of wine that she otherwise couldn't afford, and he helped her out.

"She's a oenophile, I'm a oenophile," he'd say, shrugging his shoulders.

3. Strength coach payments for personal training sessions.
Quick question, how many people out there would marry someone that they knew had a sexual relationship with their boss? What's more, how many people would marry a divorcee with four kids, who slept with their boss at a restaurant on the night she met him?

Would anyone do this? Isn't this when you pull your friend aside and say, "I know, I know, she's pretty hot and you're not getting any younger, but, man, she slept with Ricky P. at the restaurant while she was married. And he wasn't the first one. Won't be the last either."

Every male friend of this strength coach should get punched between the legs by the Louisville president.

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Pitino Extortion Case

Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino makes a public apology concerning his involvement in a scandal in Louisville, Ky., Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2009. Pitino's comments were the first since news broke Tuesday that he told police that he and Karen Sypher had sex on a table at a Louisville restaurant six years ago. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

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Pitino Extortion Case

FILE- In this April 24, 2009, file photo, Karen Cunagin Sypher, listens as her attorney speaks to the media outside Gene Snyder Courthouse following a court appearance in Louisville, Ky., A newspaper is reporting that Louisville coach Rick Pitino told police he had sex and paid for an abortion for the woman accused of trying to extort him for $10 million. The Courier-Journal of Louisville reported on its Web site Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, that Pitino told police he had been been drinking in a Louisville restaurant and had consensual sex with Karen Sypher in August 2003. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon, File)

** FILE ** This Dec. 18, 2008 file photo shows Louisville head coach Rick Pitino on the sidelines against Mississippi in an NCAA college basketball game in Cincinnati. A newspaper is reporting that Louisville coach Rick Pitino told police he had sex and paid for an abortion for the woman accused of trying to extort him for $10 million. The Courier-Journal of Louisville reported on its Web site Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009, that Pitino told police he had been been drinking in a Louisville restaurant and had consensual sex with Karen Sypher in August 2003. (AP Photo/Al Behrman, File)

Karen Sypher walks into Federal Court in Louisville, Kentucky, on Thursday, April 24, 2009. Sypher is charged with extortion by U.S. District Court in connection with threatening correspondence toward University of Louisville head basketball coach Rick Pitino. (Jonathan Palmer/Lexington Herald-Leader/MCT)

MCT

4. The money went for a prop bet placed on the first of March to this query: Kentucky will be in better shape as a basketball program than Louisville within six months. 100-to-1 odds.
The only people happy about this story are Kentucky fans. Seriously, they're ecstatic, almost as happy as they were about Patrick Sparks' three-pointer against Michigan State putting the game into overtime in the Elite 8. You should see the gloating e-mails from Kentucky fans.

Think about it from their perspective. In the middle of March, Louisville, their most hated basketball rival on the planet, entered the NCAA Tournament as the overall No. 1 seed. Meanwhile, Kentucky slinked into the NIT where it bowed out on the road at Notre Dame. Five months ago, the Wildcats were in the midst of the Billy Gillispie implosion and now Louisville has to fight a battle to keep Pitino as its coach, they've got Coach Cal and the top recruiting class in the country, and as if that weren't enough, Pitino's top basketball recruit just left high school early and signed to play pro basketball in Israel.

I mean, in all honesty, what are the odds on any of this actually happening? Much less all of it?

C-A-T-S.

5. The money was supposed to go to Derrick Rose. Coach Cal offered him half that to sign. We doubled it.
Admittedly, this would lead to NCAA probation. But it would be bittersweet because it might lead to Coach Cal getting fired too. Speaking of which, is there any other state in the country with a dirtier collegiate aura than Kentucky? It's a penumbra of filth. The only state that could even come close would be Connecticut, and that's based on Jim Calhoun by himself.

6. The money was for carpet-cleaning in the old Rick Pitino's restaurant in Lexington.
Does anyone else wonder what went down after hours when Pitino was in Lexington and had his own restaurant?

No wonder you couldn't get in that place on basketball weekends.

7. We were thinking about adopting children from Africa and that was the adoption fee. Karen offered to be our go-between.
In general, if you're white, being willing to adopt a child from Africa gives you a pass for anything else you've done wrong in life. No matter what.

8. The money was a consulting fee for Charles Barkley since Sir Charles can curse people on air, go drunk-driving for oral sex with prostitutes, and gamble millions of dollars. All of which makes him more beloved.
Barkley's advice to Pitino was controversial. "If I got caught having sex in a restaurant, I'd just have Kenny and Ernie turn it into a funny skit."

Like this.

Ernie: "You talked to a married woman's kids before you had sex with her?"

Barkley: "I talk to everyone's kids before I have sex with their mom in the restaurant. Ask Kenny."

Everyone laughs.

Kenny: "At least I got a ring."

9. Replica championship rings from 1996
Pitino has given up on actually winning another championship at Louisville. So to make the team feel better, he had the 1996 Kentucky basketball rings recast and gave them out to the Cardinals team.

"I want you to know what a championship ring feels like," Pitino said, "because I'm never going to win another one."

10. White Suit Dry-Cleaning
I hear they can get soiled fairly easily.

Rick Pitino's PR Team and the $3,000 Lie originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Rick Pitino Concedes Affair, Paid for Abortion as Melodrama Plays Out

Chas Rich — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:52:00 EST

Filed under: Louisville, Big East, Coaches, Police Blotter

There's something like 10 kinds of crazy in the ever-expanding story on Louisville coach Rick Pitino and his relationship with the alleged extortionist Karen Cunagin Sypher. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the information she was holding over the married Pitino's head involved an extramarital affair. Still, this is now approaching pure soap-opera levels of melodrama.

The latest, as reported by the Courier-Journal, is that Pitino admitted to police investigators that he did have sex with Sypher and subsequently gave her $3,000 for an abortion after she claimed she was pregnant.

The sexual interlude took place after-hours at a restaurant where he had been drinking at the bar. According to the interview, Pitino strongly suggested that he may have been drunk. He told the police this after Sypher had recently made allegations that he raped her back in August 2003.

"Luckily" for Pitino, his executive assistant had been there as Pitino's designated driver. He corroborated Pitino's version. From the Courier-Journal's report:

That witness, Vinny Tatum, an executive assistant to Pitino, told the FBI that he didn't see what happened but heard "only the sounds of two people that seemed to be enjoying themselves during a sexual encounter," according to Abbott's report.

Oh, it gets sleazier. Sypher got in touch with Pitino a couple weeks later to let him know she was now pregnant and he was the father. They agreed to meet at the condo of the strength coach for the Louisville basketball team, Tim Sypher, a longtime friend of Pitino's. There, the still single Karen Cunagin decided to get an abortion but claimed not to have the medical insurance to pay for it. Pitino gave her $3,000 to cover the costs.

Tim Sypher, who was there that day, and Karen Cunagin, apparently started dating, er, shortly afterward and were married six months later. (How does that even begin to work?)

For a while, what information and news that had been leaking really made this look like a completely crazy woman going after Pitino. Her attorney had quit, and the court had to appoint one for her. She lacked much credibility as she claimed that Pitino raped her that night, and then said he sexually assaulted her at Tim Sypher's condo at their second meeting -- while Sypher was upstairs. And then married Sypher six months later.

Rick Pitino will most likely still be coach at Louisville. His reputation and image, though, are toast. The creepiness. The weirdness. Everything about this is just ugly, tawdry and sleazy.

Report: Rick Pitino Concedes Affair, Paid for Abortion as Melodrama Plays Out originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memphis Determines Its Innocence

Chas Rich — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Conference USA, SEC, Coaches, Police Blotter

What a bombshell from the University of Memphis. It has exhaustively determined that it has found nothing to suggest Derrick Rose did not take his own SAT test. Just for good measure it has also concluded that even if -- somehow -- it did turn out that someone other than Derrick Rose took the SAT there was no way the school could have known. Therefore, in Memphis' humble opinion, there should be no punishment of Memphis.

The main thrust of the document (PDF) seems to be to make it clear that Memphis knew nothing. This should not be surprising since it will be a document that Memphis plans to submit to the NCAA as part of its defense.

Sure the Memphis Athletic Department was alerted by the NCAA as early as last May that the SAT score in Rose's name had been invalidated. And sure, the Tigers were actually informed about the potential grade changing issues back in 2007.

They looked closely at that. Specifically, they asked Derrick Rose about it, and he said he knew nothing about it. That was apparently good enough for everyone.

In any event, Memphis claims in its current response to the NCAA it was "in no position to know of a problem" at the time of Rose's participation because he had been certified on behalf of the NCAA. Memphis claims to have exercised "due diligence" in the fall of 2007 and took all "reasonable steps" to confirm that Rose was eligible.

In other words, Memphis had deniability of knowing anything was wrong and, with the NCAA certifying Rose's transcript, it was no longer their problem.

Memphis Determines Its Innocence originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 02 Jun 2009 14:07:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memphis Having a Little Deja UMass

Chas Rich — Thu, 28 May 2009 10:08:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Conference USA, SEC, Campus, Coaches, Police Blotter

It is a coincidence.

Besides nothing ever was proven or even suggested by the NCAA that John Calipari even knew what Marcus Camby was up to at UMass. Just like there is nothing at this point to indicate that Calipari was aware of the things the NCAA is now accusing Memphis.

The NCAA is accusing the Memphis Tigers with failure to monitor with regards to actions relating to the 2007-08 season in which the Tigers went to the Final Four. While the name of the key player has been redacted the letter from the NCAA indicates that the player, "subsequently competed during the 2007-08 season and specifically the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship." In other words, Derrick Rose.

The general attitude of Kentucky fans, you can expect, will be that John Calipari is not being accused of anything. Of even knowing anything. That this is on Memphis and their athletic department and their oversight. Sure, the NCAA wants Calipari at the hearing, but that is only because he was the head coach at the time. What happened in Memphis stays in Memphis.

Memphis fans might take some grim satisfaction in that rhetoric from Kentucky fans. After all, it was very much the same thing they said when Calipari came to Memphis. The UMass stuff may have happened on Calipari's watch, but it was not his doing.

They passionately defended and protected Calipari when he was there. He was just the best recruiter. Rumors and unverified accusations of malfeasance against Calipari were from jealous fans and coaches from other programs. Nothing more. Nothing proven.

Ultimately next to nothing will likely happen to Calipari from the NCAA. Rose is denying any wrong-doing, and much like O.J. Mayo with USC, has little incentive to cooperate with the NCAA investigation beyond proclaiming his innocence. Plenty of deniability for Calipari.

Memphis will take the hit, just as UMass did. Like Rhode Island and then Georgia later paid the price for grabbing Jim Harrick. They all took their chances and rationalized things since at the times of the hires, there was nothing actually incriminating sticking to Harrick. Just rumors and veiled accusations.

Latest College Basketball Images

Pall bearers prepare to unload the casket of Wayman Tisdale during his funeral, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Tom Gilbert)

The hearse carrying the casket of Wayman Tisdale moves through Tulsa, Thursday, May 21, 2009, in Tulsa, Okla. The former University of Oklahoma basketball star and popular jazz musician died last week after a long battle with cancer. He was 44. (AP Photo/Shane Bevel)

John Wall, flanked by his sister Tonya Pulley and Dr. Frank Summerfield, formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

John Wall formally announced during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, that he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

John Wall laughs with his sister Tonya Pulley during a press conference on Wednesday, May 20, 2009, where he announced he would attend the University of Kentucky next fall to play basketball. (Ethan Hyman/Raleigh News & Observer/MCT)

MCT

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall discusses his decision to commit to playing basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall, center, discusses his decision to commit to playing basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. At left is Word of God Christian Academy's Dr. Frank Summerfield and at right is Wall's sister Tonya Pulley. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall, right, and Dr. Frank Summerfield discuss Wall's decision to commit to playing college basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Word of God Christian Academy's point guard John Wall discusses his decision to commit to playing college basketball at Kentucky during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Wednesday, May 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

Memphis Having a Little Deja UMass originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 28 May 2009 10:08:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Maine Coach Charged With Sex Offense

Chas Rich — Thu, 14 May 2009 16:14:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, Police Blotter

There are things people do to lose a job, then there actions that completely obliterate any chance at continuing a career in their chosen field. For Mike Burden, the now former associate head basketball coach at the Maine Black Bears, he allegedly took an action that should necessitate leaving coaching -- and likely anything involving students -- forever.

Burden resigned after being charged with unlawful sexual contact against one woman and assault against another woman who tried to assist the victim. Both women were students at Maine.

The first alleged victim was also a woman's soccer team member. She notified her coach of the incident. That quickly led to the suspension and resignation of Burden.

The short AP wire story does not do justice to how egregious Burden's behavior allegedly was, and why his career in coaching should be done. On its fact, this doesn't appear to be some sort of "he said/she said" incident stemming from a misunderstanding or flirting gone bad.

According to the police report, Burden had been the passenger in a car that was pulled over by police not too long before the crime. The driver was arrested for drunken driving. Burden was passed out in the car, and was only awoken after the driver had been arrested and police rousted him so they could impound the vehicle.

Burden was then walking home when the encounter occurred.

The 21-year-old female victim reported to police that she left the 103 Ultra Lounge just before the nightclub closed at 2 a.m. and was walking down Park Street when she noticed that she did not have her cell phone. Thinking she had dropped it while taking a shortcut behind an apartment building, she started looking for the phone in that area when a man she identified as Burden approached her.

"He offered to help her and began making advances, which led to the charges of unlawful sexual contact," Ewing said. While the assault was happening, "one of her friends walked by and she yelled to the friend" who came over to assist the crying woman.

"While standing with the two girls, he starts pawing at [the second woman] and she pushes him away," [Orono police Capt. Josh] Ewing said.

The two women, who both recognized Burden, left together and reported the assault at 3:19 a.m. after the two got to one of their apartments.

It is chilling to think how much worse this may have been, if the police report is accurate, if no one else had been able to help.

Burden is 36 years old, and has slowly climbed the coaching ranks from Division II and III just to this point at a Division I school. But that will likely be over if this allegations are proved true. For a guy who has a degree in health and physical education, he's likely limited his career options.

Maine Coach Charged With Sex Offense originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 14 May 2009 16:14:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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USC Coach Tim Floyd Accused of Paying Mayo's Representative

Chas Rich — Wed, 13 May 2009 00:15:00 EST

Filed under: USC, Pac-10, Police Blotter, Recruiting

It was exactly a year ago that all the evidence and information was made public by O.J. Mayo's former entourage member, Louis Johnson. The story was about how Rodney Guillory was giving the money to Mayo both to be attached to Mayo and as a runner for Bill Duffy Associates.

USC and Coach Tim Floyd had maintained the stance that they were clueless fools, not at all complicit. Now Louis Johnson reveals that in his interviews with investigators that he informed them that Floyd gave Guillory an envelope of cash.

The following is Johnson's account of the payment as told to Yahoo! Sports.

On Feb. 14, 2007, Johnson and Guillory packed up Guillory's black Infiniti SUV and were preparing for the drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas to attend the NBA All-Star weekend. Before they left, Guillory informed Johnson several times that he had to meet with Floyd so the coach could give him cash for the trip. Sometime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., Guillory and Johnson headed toward Beverly Hills to meet with Floyd. During the drive, Johnson listened as Guillory and Floyd exchanged several cell phone calls as Floyd explained where the meeting would take place.

Upon arriving in Beverly Hills, Guillory pulled up to a stretch of cafes in the downtown shopping district, where Floyd was waiting on the sidewalk. Because there were no parking spaces, Guillory asked Johnson to circle the block in the SUV until Guillory was ready to be picked up. Johnson exited the passenger side of the vehicle, at which point Johnson saw Floyd and the two exchanged greetings. Johnson then got into the driver's seat and proceeded to circle the block while Guillory and Floyd met.

After approximately 15 minutes, Johnson saw Guillory waiting on the curb in front of the stretch of cafes and pulled over to pick him up. Once Guillory was inside the vehicle, he produced a white envelope with cash inside. Guillory told Johnson that Floyd had given him "a grand," and Johnson was able to view $100 bills inside the envelope. He said he believed there appeared to be "substantially" more than $1,000, although he did not count the bills.

Not exactly a smoking gun. It is not good, but there is little to corroborate it. That is about the only good news for Tim Floyd with this going public.

Floyd did not exactly have a sterling reputation before this. Nothing explicitly bad, but the subject of rumors and whispers of less than above-the-board standards when it comes to recruiting. This is the first outright accusation of giving a payoff to a representative of a recruit.

It has been a while since anything has been heard from the NCAA investigations into O.J. Mayo's magical single season at USC. Sure there was the initial flurry almost a year ago. The NCAA, Pac-10, FBI, IRS, California's Attorney General all were looking into some aspect of the O.J. Mayo situation. Then it was joined with the Reggie Bush investigation and the two appeared to be heading nowhere.

According to the Yahoo! Sports report, Johnson told that story to all the government investigators last May. NCAA investigators were told about it last week.

Not surprisingly, Guillory has declined comment. As has USC and Floyd -- citing the fact that the NCAA investigation keeps them from commenting.

When or if USC and Floyd actually do comment, expect denials. That's about all that is left. Floyd would be done in coaching if this could be confirmed in any way. USC would likely face tremendously heavy sanctions from the NCAA.

USC Coach Tim Floyd Accused of Paying Mayo's Representative originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 13 May 2009 00:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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John Wall's Misdemeanor Likely Won't Impact Recruitment

Chas Rich — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:44:00 EST

Filed under: Duke, Florida, Kentucky, NC State, ACC, SEC, Media Watch, Police Blotter, Recruiting, North Carolina

John Wall, the nation's top point guard recruit and possible No. 1 pick of the 2010 NBA draft, was charged with misdemeanor breaking and entering yesterday.

Contrary to what my colleague wrote, this will likely have minimal impact on the teams recruiting him.

So far no team or coach has even circulated a rumor that they are done recruiting Wall (though NCAA regulations prohibit coaches and programs from speaking directly about an unsigned recruit).

After Wall makes a decision, no doubt the snubbed coaches will imply or let intermediaries suggest that they stopped recruiting him after this incident. Fans of the snubbed schools will doubtlessly claim that they are happy that a "thug" and "criminal" like Wall is not going to sully their program.

Please.

Wall was cited -- not even arrested -- for misdemeanor breaking and entering (North Carolina GS Sec. 14-54(b)) last week. It was into an empty house, with no sign of forced entry (not a bad house, judging by the listing).

Essentially, Wall and a couple friends were stupid enough to decide to walk into an empty house. They did not take anything. Essentially, the police wrote him a ticket.

The officer saw Wall leaving from the rear door of the residence and detained him without incident, [Raleigh police spokesman Jim] Sughrue said.

A few minutes later, a second teenager, Bria Renea Draughn, 16, was detained while walking on a nearby street. A third, Reginald Leonard Jackson II, 17, was detained when he returned to the Laurel Glen Drive house, Sughrue said.

Each of the three was issued a citation on a misdemeanor charge of breaking and entering, said Wake County chief magistrate Gary Wills.

The citation is similar to one issued for a traffic violation, Wills said. "You can be cited for a misdemeanor breaking and entering," he said. No warrant was executed.

This is not to minimize what he did, but sneaking into an empty, abandoned house is not exactly an unheard-of action for teenagers, even an 18-year-old under plenty of scrutiny for his basketball prowess. When even a county magistrate is comparing it to a traffic violation, it is hard to draw real outrage.

Athletes in Trouble With the Law

May 4: Prized recruit John Wall is charged with a misdemeanor breaking and entering. Click through to see more sports figures in trouble with the law.

Chris Williams, Icon Sports Media

May 4: NFL wide receiver Biren Ealy, pictured, and tight end Kolomona Kapanui were accused of being drunk, urinating in public and exposing themselves.

Getty Images

April 30: Former football star Lawrence Phillips, pictured here with the Dolphins in 1998, will go to trial on charges that he attacked his girlfriend in 2005. Phillips already is serving a 10-year sentence for hitting three teenagers with his car in Los Angeles.

AFP / Getty Images

April 26: Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips was cited for misdemeanor battery for allegedly striking a security guard in the face at a hotel.

Tom Hevezi, AP

April 22: Former Jaguars star Jimmy Smith faces multiple drug charges, plus a charge of driving with a suspended license following an arrest.

Al Messerschmidt, Getty Images

April 20: Purdue point guard Lewis Jackson pleads guilty to illegal alcohol consumption and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Jonathan Daniel, Getty Images

April 15: Eugene Edgerson, a former Arizona basketball player who tours with the Harlem Globetrotters, was arrested for the second time in two months on domestic violence charges.

Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE / Getty Images

April 16: Former Broncos running back Travis Henry admitted to a single count of conspiracy to possess cocaine with intent to distribute and faces 10 years or more in prison.

Doug Pensinger, Getty Images

April 13: Michigan State's Glenn Winston was sentenced to six months in jail after pleading guilty to assault charges.

Carolyn Kaster, AP

April 11: Buffalo Bills safety Donte Whitner was arrested on charges of aggravated disorderly conduct and resisting police outside a Cleveland nightclub.

Paul Jasienski, Getty Images

John Wall's Misdemeanor Likely Won't Impact Recruitment originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 05 May 2009 13:44:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Woman Charged in Pitino Extortion Case

FanHouse Newswire — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EST

Filed under: Louisville, Coaches, Police Blotter

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The estranged wife of a longtime aide to Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino faces charges that she tried to extort the coach, at first demanding cars and tuition for her children, then later asking for $10 million, according to a federal complaint filed Friday.

Karen Cunagin Sypher, 49, who also is accused of lying to the FBI about the case, did not enter a plea at a court appearance Friday and was released on her own recognizance.

Karen Cunagin Sypher, 49, who also is accused of lying to the FBI about the case, did not enter a plea at a court appearance Friday and was released on her own recognizance.

Sypher's husband and Cardinals equipment manager, Tim Sypher, on March 6 brought Pitino a written list of demands including tuition, two cars of her choice, paying off her house and $3,000 per month, according to the complaint. The demands later escalated to $10 million, the complaint said.

According to the complaint, the note said, "If all is accepted, I will protect Rick Pitino's name for life."

What sort of information Sypher may have been trying to use to extort the successful coach was not included in the complaint, which only said Pitino believed it was related to an unspecified encounter with the woman in 2003, two years after Pitino took over Louisville's basketball program.

The 56-year-old coach first brought up the extortion allegations last week, when he said he had reported them to the FBI. Pitino's attorney, Steve Pence, released a statement and said he has directed the coach to have no further comment on the case.

"While Coach Pitino takes no comfort in this prosecution and remains astonished by these events, it marks a turning point that allows him to focus with a clear mind once again on his family and his team," said Pence.

Outside the courthouse, Karen Sypher's attorney, Thomas Clay, declined to predict what might happen in the case.

"The criminal complaint clearly reflects other people were involved in this," Clay said. "Whether they will be charged, I don't know."

Clay also declined to comment on Sypher's allegation against Pitino. In court, she answered only "yes, sir" to questions from U.S. Magistrate Judge Dave Whalin, and she would not comment later.

According to the complaint written by FBI Special Agent Steven Wight, Pitino received two voicemail messages on Feb. 26 from a man who did not identify himself and a third call on Feb. 28. Pitino told Wight the first two concerned personal allegations that were "criminal in nature" and could harm the coach's reputation, and the other was a threat to make the allegations public in two weeks.

Wight said the truth about the allegations against Pitino is "suspect" and were left out of the complaint.

Pitino Extortion Case

MCT

Karen Sypher, center, charged with trying to extort Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino and of lying to the FBI, stands holding her son (who declined to give his name) and listens as her attorney Thomas Clay, left, speaks to the media outside the Gene Snyder Courthouse following a court appearance Friday, April 24, 2009 in Louisville, Ky. Sypher did not enter a plea in the case and was released on her own recognizance. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon)

Karen Sypher, charged with trying to extort Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino and of lying to the FBI, leaves the Gene Snyder Courthouse following a court appearance Friday, April 24, 2009, in Louisville, Ky., Sypher did not enter a plea in the case and was released on her own recognizance. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon)

Karen Sypher, left, charged with trying to extort Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino and of lying to the FBI, stands next to her son (who declined to give his name) and listens as her attorney Thomas Clay speaks to the media outside the Gene Snyder Courthouse following a court appearance Friday, April 24, 2009 in Louisville, Ky. Sypher did not enter a plea in the case and was released on her own recognizance. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon)

Karen Sypher, charged with trying to extort Louisville men's basketball coach Rick Pitino and of lying to the FBI, listens as her attorney Thomas Clay speaks to the media outside Gene Snyder Courthouse following a court appearance Friday, April 24, 2009, in Louisville, Ky., Sypher did not enter a plea in the case and was released on her own recognizance. (AP Photo/Brian Bohannon)

Karen Sypher, the estranged wife of Louisville's basketball equipment manager, is seen in a photo, date not known. The FBI is investigating Sypher regarding extortion allegations leveled by coach Rick Pitino, her attorney said Sunday, April 19, 2009. (AP Photo/The Courier-Journal) ** MAGS OUT NO SALES ARCHIVE OUT **

Since Pitino's announcement, Karen Sypher has given some media interviews, mostly saying she's just defending herself. One station that did an extensive interview said it chose not to air her allegations because they could not be confirmed.

Tim Sypher, 48, voiced his support for his boss in a statement last week, and divorce papers for the couple, who married in April 2004, have been filed in recent weeks. The relationship between the men goes back to the days when Pitino coached the Boston Celtics, when Sypher was Pitino's personal assistant from 1997 to 2001, according to his resume on file at Louisville.

Pitino told Wight he met with the Syphers after the first two calls and asked what she wanted. Karen Sypher then talked about a house, cars and cash. Pitino told Wight that he played the voicemail for her and she denied knowing about the calls.

Kenyon Meyer, Tim Sypher's attorney, said his client is not being targeted in the criminal investigation and is cooperating.

"This whole series of events has just been devastating," Meyer said.

Tim Sypher's mother, Joan Sypher, of Raynham, Mass, said her son loves sports, which helped him land a job with Pitino, first as a driver.

"My son was not married or anything, and of course when you're a driver for somebody you have to be available 24 hours, so that's how he got the job," she told The Associated Press earlier this week by telephone.

Wight said Karen Sypher's attorney later mailed a letter to Pitino repeating the allegations made in the voicemail. In it, Sypher also accused Pitino of orchestrating the threatening calls, Wight said. The attorney filed a divorce petition and made demands of Pitino, including one for $10 million, Wight said. An affidavit containing the allegations against Pitino and attached to the petition has been sealed.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kuhn asked Whalin to bar Karen Sypher from hurting Pitino's reputation while on bond, and Clay said his client agreed not discuss the coach in public.

Pitino signed a three-year contract extension with the Cardinals in May 2007 that could keep him at the school through 2013. The deal pays him an annual salary of $2.5 million a year if he stays until the end of the contract. He'll receive loyalty bonuses of $3.6 million in 2010 and 2013 if he remains with the school.

Pitino led Louisville to the Final Four in 2005, the third school he has taken there. The others were Providence in 1987 and Kentucky, which won the national championship in 1996.

Kuhn said a federal grand jury is scheduled to meet May 11-12 and could hear the case against Sypher.

The FBI interviewed her earlier this month about the calls and said she failed a polygraph test to her during the second interview. She then gave false information about the caller's identity, leading to charges of lying to the FBI, Wight said.

Also, a man the FBI said admitted making the calls told Wight that Karen Sypher talked about getting $200,000 to $400,000. The unidentified man said Sypher asked him to make the calls "during a critical period in the basketball season to increase the pressure" on Pitino, Wight said.

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Woman Charged in Pitino Extortion Case originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Vandals Deface Kay Yow Memorial

Will Brinson — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: NC State, ACC, Coaches, Fans, Media Watch, Police Blotter

Kay Yow's recent passing struck an emotional chord, not just in Raleigh and North Carolina, but across the sports world as a whole. The level of respect that Coach Yow received from fans, friends, family and colleagues cannot be understated.

Which makes it that much more difficult to comprehend why vandals would deface a memorial created to honor Coach Yow with a "blue mustache" and the phrase, "Cancer Rules."

A blue mustache and the phrase "cancer rules" were added to the painting, which shows a portrait of Yow against a pink background. The graffiti was removed and the mural restored by early Sunday morning, but the incident did not sit well with students.

"This is still like her memorial," said Caren Lohr, a senior biology and chemistry major from Trinity in Randolph County. She came to paint the tunnel as part of an annual tradition by her co-ed fraternity. "She was definitely not one to be disrespected like that."

No one should be disrespected like that, and frankly, it's beyond sickening to think that anyone would find this remotely humorous. Judging from the color of the mustache and the vandalism occurring the same day as the N.C. State-North Carolina game, the logical thing is to presume that a Carolina fan/student did this; I get the whole rivalry issue, but anyone who could find this not remotely despicable needs to re-evaluate their moral compass.

There is also, of course, the issue of where the mural was painted: the Free Expression Tunnel. The FET has always been open to nearly whatever (hence the name), but was the subject of national scrutiny recently when students wrote inflammatory words about Barack Obama.

And just as Chancellor James Oblinger responded in thoughtful and swift fashion, I expect the same here. Free speech is free speech, but has limits when its purely hateful. Whoever did this will hopefully be identified and punished to whatever extent may be possible.

Recent Deaths in Sports

Kay Yow, Jan. 24: Hall of Fame basketball coach Kay Yow dies at age 66 after a long battle with cancer. Yow won more than 700 games in her illustrious career.

Karl DeBlaker, AP

John Gordy, Jan. 30: The former Detroit Lions offensive lineman was a three-time Pro Bowler and helped form the NFL Players' Association.

Ingemar Johansson, Jan. 30: The Swede stunned the boxing world by knocking out Floyd Patterson to win the heavyweight title in 1959. Johansson became only the fifth-ever heavyweight champion born outside the US.

Glenn Davis, Jan. 28: The star hurdler, center, won two of his three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics.

George Eisenhart Jr., Jan. 24: The promoter for the Motor Sports Monster Truck & Thrill Show died after he was crushed beneath a giant truck tire at a show.

TheMonsterBlog.com

Bill Werber, Jan. 22: Werber, the oldest living ex-major league baseball player and a former teammate of Babe Ruth, dies at age 100 at an assisted care facility in North Carolina.

Chuck Burton, AP

Shane Dronett, Jan. 21: Dronett played 10 years in the NFL and started every game on the Atlanta Falcons' 1998 Super Bowl team.

NFL / AP

Dante Lavelli, Jan. 20: "Gluefingers" was a receiver on the Cleveland Browns dynasty of the 1940s and '50s. He entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.

Tony Dejak, AP

Preston Gomez, Jan. 13: Gomez was the first manager in the history of the San Diego Padres. He later guided the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.

Rene Herms, Jan. 11, 2009: The five-time German champion runner was found dead in his Berlin apartment at just 26 years old. Police are investigating the cause of death.

Alexander Hassenstein, Bongarts / Getty Images

Vandals Deface Kay Yow Memorial originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 16:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Miami's Eddie Rios Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Electronics

Will Brinson — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Media Watch, Police Blotter, University of Miami

Eddie Rios hasn't really had a great basketball season. He's been suspended twice and he's only averaging about four points per game (in 12 minutes of play.)

And after being arrested for "grand theft" and burglary, it appears that he's really been on a hijacking tear, having stolen several thousand dollars worth of electronic equipment from other Miami students.

Rios helped steal four laptops, two Xbox game consoles and a credit card among other items, the report said. He was arrested and booked Wednesday on two counts of burglarizing an unoccupied dwelling, and two counts of grand theft.

Police responded to a burglary call at the University of Miami's Mahoney Residential building Tuesday night and spotted Rios getting into a car, the report said. Rios and the driver, Stephanie Elizabeth Flores, 19, were pulled over and found with a Dell laptop computer that did not belong to either of them.

As Chas noted, Rios was originally tagged with some pretty serious crimes; to top everything off, Rios also confessed to stealing a bunch of other items when police got a hold of him. I suppose now would be the (in)appropriate time to make a joke about paying college players. But, clearly, I'm above that. But really, why's he stealing when he's already on salary?

Plus, Rios was a top recruit in the state of Florida and supposed to help Miami win an ACC title. It's always a sad story when you see a young kid with a bright future turn to illegal activity for no apparent reason.

Miami's Eddie Rios Arrested for Allegedly Stealing Electronics originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 02 Feb 2009 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Who Let the Football Player on Miami's Basketball Team?

Chas Rich — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:17:00 EST

Filed under: ACC, Police Blotter, University of Miami

Miami's Edwin Rios was supposed to be one of the team's building blocks. The sophomore was a top-20 point guard in the recruiting rankings when he signed with Miami. Instead, he has underachieved and been a problem child. He was first suspended for one game in December, then suspended indefinitely in January. Why? The ever popular "violating team rules."

That is now the least of his concerns as he has been arrested and charged with "two counts of burglarizing an unoccupied dwelling, and two counts of grand theft." So far Miami and the athletic department has no comment.

Miami, has a "zero-tolerance" policy concerning the behavior of its athletes on-the-field after the FIU-Miami football brawl a couple years ago; that has not really been enforced in the realm of basketball. It is a good bet, as the athletic department still tries to overcome the reputation of lawlessness earned by the football program, that Rios is likely done as a Hurricane.

Who Let the Football Player on Miami's Basketball Team? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 22:17:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Providence Player's Brother Still Jailed After Rushing Court

Will Brinson — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:15:00 EST

Filed under: Marquette, Big East, Fans, Media Watch, Police Blotter, Rumors

Jonathan Xavier just wanted to defend his brother, Jeff, a guard for the Providence Friars. No, honestly -- that's the only reason he stormed onto the court during Providence's game against Marquette last week.

The bigger problem isn't that he was arrested, though. It's that he was already on probation, and that by storming the floor, he may have violated said probation. And now he's still in jail while a judge determines that very issue.

Xavier, 24, is charged with disorderly conduct. A hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 10 for a judge to decide whether he also violated his probation in the incident.

[...]State prosecutors said Xavier pleaded no contest in 2005 to three drug charges. He received a six year sentence but only had to serve eight months, with the remainder suspended.

That suspended sentence, naturally, came with probation. And you have to believe that someone convicted of three drug charges less than four years ago who commits a seemingly violent act is going to be viewed poorly by a judge.

The good news for both Jeff Xavier and the Friars is that the District Attorney is making a point to state that this case is "not about Jeff Xavier" and instead will be focused on "the dumb and dangerous decision of a person who happens to be his brother."

Providence Player's Brother Still Jailed After Rushing Court originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If It's January, It Must Be Time for Leo Lyons to Be Suspended at Mizzou

Chas Rich — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:33:00 EST

Filed under: Big 12, Police Blotter

Leo Lyons is the Missouri Lions' second-leading scorer and rebounder. He is also the team leader in career suspensions. First it was over academic issues. Last January his suspension came from his involvement in a night club incident.

Lyons recently grabbed suspension number three. It wasn't exactly for anything major. If it were not for his previous problems, it probably would not have led to a suspension. However, Lyons was arrested after being pulled over for a traffic violation. Not for that incident, but because he failed to pay the fine for a previous traffic violation in 2006.

Coach Mike Anderson suspended Lyons indefinitely for the arrest. Coach Anderson explained that it was about Lyons failing to be responsible. A running theme for most of Lyons' suspensions. He does not do anything particularly bad. He just behaves irresponsibly.

The reality is that the indefinite suspension of Lyons will probably be just for Wednesday's game against Colorado. Lyons will pay the fines and then he will most likely be reinstated for Saturday's game with Iowa State.

If It's January, It Must Be Time for Leo Lyons to Be Suspended at Mizzou originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:33:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big West Commissioner Should Resign

Adam Papagiorgio — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:28:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, Police Blotter

Cal State Northridge coach Bobby Braswell read from a prepared statement yesterday, saying that the young men involved in the Best Buy caper will be held from competition until these issues are cleared.

Northridge's leading scorer Deon Tresvant and reserve Dallas Rutherford have been charged with second-degree commercial burglary and grand theft after taking items without paying for them at a Best Buy store in the suburbs of Los Angeles. The two men collaborated with the coach's son, Jeffrey Braswell, who used a co-worker's terminal to arrange the theft.

Braswell moved quickly to suspend the players. He even let his son spend a few nights in jail for the crime. For that he is to be commended. But this is only the latest in a string of incidents that has muddied the Big West's already sullied name.

The Big West is out of control and it's time for commissioner Dennis Farrell to resign.

Ask a random fan about their thoughts on the Big West conference and you will likely get this response: "Utah was jobbed for the AP national championship in football." Then there will be some embarrassment as you explain that Utah plays in the Mountain West, and the Big West doesn't support football.

But with all of the criminal activity that goes on in the conference, you would figure that they were big-time.

Cal State Fullerton suspended guard Junior Russell in February for possession for sale of marijuana. He was kicked off the team and later reinstated after the charges were kicked down to a misdemeanor. But he rarely, if ever, got off the bench. Fullerton is no stranger to the police blotter either. Other Titans players have been arrested for grand theft auto and stealing a knit cap from a department store in recent years.

Pacific had troubles stemming from a sexual-assault case back in May that led to the transfer Steffan Johnson to Idaho.

A Cal Poly basketball recruit allegedly played part in a bank robbery in August. The school cut ties with him a week later.

Kids being kids? A microcosm of society? The Big West isn't the only conference getting in trouble. There seems to be a new report of some athlete doing wrong seemingly every day. But for a conference like the Big West, they really don't have any leeway here.

The Big West should be celebrated for UC Santa Barbara's soccer program. For Cal State Fullerton's baseball program. For Misty May who played volleyball at Long Beach State. Instead, they are weighed down by these crimes. And these aren't just victimless crimes, either. This isn't just a couple of kids making kid-type mistakes of smoking a joint, or stealing a six-pack from the local liquor store. We're talking conspiracy on an Ocean's 11 level. Stealing nearly $7,000 in electronics goods and robbing banks? These are serious, serious issues.

Beyond that, the Big West stopped supporting football because it wanted to become a basketball power. Much like the WCC. Then it chased away it's best basketball program, Utah State, and elevated a number of Division II schools.

Now you have half of the teams playing in glorified high school gyms, and another playing a rusting, leaking, half-finished pyramid. The basketball courts at the prisons that will be housing current and future Big West players have better facilities.

There isn't even that one marquee program to rally around like UNLV in the 1980s or 1990s. UC Santa Barbara could be that school, but they've necked taken the reigns. Long Beach State fancies itself as an upstart, but coach Dan Monson is already looking at other gigs.

Instead of a basketball power, you have a conference making more news in the police blotter and the occasional NBA player -- like Bobby Brown -- than for winning meaningful basketball games. This conference has a become a joke and somebody needs to take responsibility for it.

The time has come to ask Farrell to resign from his post as commissioner of the Big West Conference. And you know what, more people would ask for it ... if there was anybody who cared.

Big West Commissioner Should Resign originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 09 Jan 2009 16:28:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cal State Northridge's Leading Scorer, Coach's Son Arrested For Theft

Adam Papagiorgio — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:11:00 EST

Filed under: Mid-Majors, Police Blotter

Cal State Northridge's leading scorer Deon Tresvant, Dallas Rutherford and Jeffrey Braswell, son of coach Bobby Braswell, were arrested after stealing more than $6,600 in merchandise from a Best Buy story on New Year's Day. Jeffrey Braswell works at a Best Buy store and allowed Tresvant and Rutherford to check out merchandise without paying. No word on who was the mastermind of the scheme.

Tresvant and Rutherford missed Northridge's 84-81 win over UC Davis on Monday, but coach Braswell originally said that Tresvant was missing the game for "personal reasons." The coach eventually released a statement on Tuesday.

"Obviously I'm disappointed with the circumstances that have taken place with my son Jeffrey and the allegations regarding Deon and Dallas [Rutherford]," Braswell said in a statement released by the school. "At this point, we will allow the judicial process to unfold. As far as my son's involvement, it is a private matter that my family and support system will deal with."

This is a huge blow for Northridge, the favorite to win the Big West this season. And you also have to wonder about the future of coach Brawell, whose teams have had a history of underachieving. The Big West has found itself on the police blotter before, but this is a pretty serious offense. It's hard to imagine that Tresvant, a senior, will be back on the floor this season.

And seriously, how many opposing student sections are going to be wearing Best Buy shirts? That's going to be the hot item to get whenever the Matadors come to town.

Assist: Titan Central

Cal State Northridge's Leading Scorer, Coach's Son Arrested For Theft originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 07 Jan 2009 02:11:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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