NCAA Basketball FanHouse

Memphis Files Appeal of Stiff Sanctions

Terrance Harris — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:01:00 EST

The punishment never seemed to fit the crime when the NCAA decided to erase Memphis' entire 2007-08 Final Four season because star point guard Derrick Rose allegedly committed academic fraud by not taking the SAT college admission test himself.

Even with no solid proof Rose didn't take the exam and certainly no evidence Memphis played any part in the alleged fraud, the NCAA still took away all 38 of the Tigers' wins.

On Thursday, Memphis filed an appeal of the sanctions according to a story in the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

The school is taking exception with the constant use of the "strict liability" standard used throughout the NCAA's findings this summer. The school paid, while former coach John Calipari, who moved this past offseason to Kentucky, received a slap on the wrist and Rose is enjoying the riches of an NBA career after spending just one season with the Tigers.

According to the newspaper, the law firm Bond, Shoeneck & King filed a 45-page brief as outside counsel on behalf of Memphis on Thursday. The school declares the penalties and the reasoning are unprecedented and improper.

Apparently when looking through past NCAA sanctions, the firm found "strict liability" used often in the case of Kelvin Sampson at Indiana. That would make sense considering that pretty much the same excessive phone call penalties that ultimately got Sampson fired at IU were the same type of penalties he committed at Oklahoma before leaving for Bloomington.

The Hoosiers were dumb for taking on Sampson and his baggage and rightfully paid for it.

"In each case, the institution was held responsible for having allowed the student-athlete to compete, but the consequences of that participation were clearly mitigated by an evaluation of the facts, including the determination that the institution had relied on the NCAA certification and that it did not have a reason to withhold the student-athlete at the time he competed," the appeal states.

Calipari may give the impression of being a little slimy, but he's never been found guilty of committing severe NCAA violations as a head coach anywhere. Sure, UMass got into trouble while Calipari was there but it was due to Marcus Camby dealing with an agent while still using college eligibility. There was no gain for Calipari there.

Furthermore, this case is bothersome because Rose was initially cleared to play through the NCAA Clearinghouse. It was only after the Educational Testing Service invalidated Rose' test score in May 2008 did the NCAA then step in and retroactively declare him ineligible.

Question: Should Memphis have done its own investigation after the NCAA conducted its probe?

As one Conference USA coach told me shortly after the NCAA sanctions were handed down to Memphis, if coaches start going around not trusting their recruits, that's a sure way to sour that relationship very quickly.

The point here is, say Rose's test score was really fraudulent -- then what responsibility should the NCAA take in declaring him ineligible after the governing body's investigators gave him and Memphis the approval the first time?

Memphis Files Appeal of Stiff Sanctions originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Honor Calipari's Tarnished Legacy?

David Steele — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, UMass, A-10, Coaches

"The University of Massachusetts Club reflects the diversity, professional character, and camaraderie among distinguished alumni, and their pride and passion for the University.''

So says the welcome page on the website of the Boston-based private members-only club, consisting of "alumni, faculty, staff and friends'' of UMass.

And as far as the club is concerned, there's no need to edit that statement or re-consider its definition of "professional character'' or "distinguished'' based on who it was scheduled to honor Friday evening: John Calipari.

If it's all cool with the UMass Club, with UMass, with Calipari and with the basketball program besmirched under his tenure, then nobody really has a right to complain.

Except maybe the NCAA, whose disciplinary sanctions against its rogue programs apparently strike something far less than fear in their hearts. More like mild indigestion, after too many happy-hour cocktails at the ol' alumni club. But we'll get to them in a minute.

Coach Cal is one of the two guests of honor for the "Celebrate UMass Basketball'' event Friday. What's being celebrated most, apparently, is the 1996 Final Four team coached by Calipari. What might not make it into the remarks, by anybody much less Calipari, is the fact that the results that season were vacated by the NCAA after a scandal revolving around Marcus Camby getting paid by an agent. The fact that Calipari's next Final Four team, at Memphis 12 years later, also saw its position vacated because of an SAT scandal, likely won't come up either. However, Calipari's new book, Bounce Back: Overcoming Setbacks to Succeed in Business and in Life (co-written by David Scott, coincidentally a UMass alumnus), will get lots of play.

So good for Coach Cal, who despite the two egregious violations of the rules on his watch has yet to have any dirt officially rub off on him, and who has parlayed the Memphis success (so to speak) into the most prestigious coaching gig in America, Kentucky. He'll sell a lot of books in his old stomping grounds, spread a lot of goodwill and, apparently, soak up a lot of love, regardless of the price paid for him and the school to attain it all. It's not as if he would have, or should have, turned the invitation down.

Which means, also, good for UMass, which is proving it has either a short memory, a massive capacity for forgiveness, or an utter disregard for the means to the end, as long as the end includes a nice banner hanging in the field house. Whatever the case, the school has made up its mind on what the word "vacated'' means, and doesn't care what anyone else thinks it means.

But what could the NCAA be thinking right now? They're gazing upon this scene from Indianapolis, at all the back-slapping, reminiscing and book-signing in honor of a program the NCAA had to drop a huge hammer onto years ago. And it's happening in the name of the university itself (although, to repeat, this is a private club without official ties to Amherst).

What next, a parade in Dallas to honor the SMU football team that got the death penalty? A formal ball in Lexington to celebrate the day the overnight envelope stuffed with cash split open? A party at the Dillard's in Tallahassee during Florida State's homecoming weekend? A hot-tub bash at UNLV?

One can only guess what Memphis might plan for Calipari if (or when) the book tour comes through that town. Maybe a big fund-raising raffle, with the winner taking the next blue-chip recruit's entrance exam for him.

Heck, as long as you're going to spit in the eye of the governing body for intercollegiate sports, you might as well do it right.

Why Honor Calipari's Tarnished Legacy? originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 11 Sep 2009 18:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Final Four, Not Josh Pastner's Optimism, Vacated in Memphis

Terrance Harris — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:21:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis, Conference USA, FanHouse Exclusive, NCAA Tournament

New Memphis basketball coach Josh Pastner was bracing for anything, but hoping for the worst as he, along with all the Tigers faithful, awaited Thursday's NCAA ruling on a two major infractions.

Pastner was able to let loose a sigh of relief Thursday afternoon once the NCAA Committee on Infractions ruling was official. The Memphis Tigers program was ordered to vacate its 38-win Final Four season under John Calipari and the team is on three years probation, but the silver-lining in it all for Pastner was there are no sanctions for the current or future teams, meaning there is no postseason ban or reduction in scholarships.

"You hate to see anything like this happen in the sport you love to student-athletes, coaches, university officials, that's no fun for anybody," Pastner told FanHouse Thursday. "But for us, the current and future of the program, there are so many positives to look forward to. Nothing inhibits us from competing at the highest level and having an opportunity to win at the highest level and compete for the best student-athletes in the country."

The extent of the penalties was uncertain before Thursday. But the primary culprit, one-and-done point guard Derrick Rose, who the NCAA found had a substitute take his SAT exam, and whose brother, Reggie, was illegally allowed to travel on the team plane, is gone. Rose became an NBA lottery pick after leading the Tigers to the championship game of the Final Four in 2008 in what was a magical season for the Tigers.

Calipari, meanwhile, left this offseason to take over at Kentucky. Pastner, who spent only last season as Calipari's assistant, became Memphis 17th head coach this past spring. It wasn't long after his promotion news of an NCAA investigation into Rose began to come out.

Pastner, who did has not lost any results as a result of the investigation, said the NCAA ruling lifted a cloud from over the program and its current players.

"Anytime you put a final ending to it, now everyone can move on and move forward," said Pastner, a former player and long-time assistant under Lute Olson at the University of Arizona. "I think that just helps give a relief anytime we are talking to any future prospects. It won't affect the current or future of the program.

"I think everyone was ready for it to have a final decision so everyone could move on and move forward."

But a real final decision could still be months away. Conference USA assistant commissioner for public affairs Courtney Archer confirmed to FanHouse Thursday evening that Memphis is filing an appeal on the NCAA's decision to vacate the Final Four season. Because of that, C-USA is withholding comment, and a decision on the Tigers 58-game winning streak in conference and the three straight league titles.

"We are continuing to monitor the situation, but we won't have comment until the issue is fully resolved," Archer said.

But as far as Pastner is concerned, he is more than ready to move on. A naturally upbeat guy, Pastner is focused on the positives, instead of dwelling on the mess Calipari left behind and the second Final Four Memphis has been forced to vacate.

"Anytime you are taking some wins away or vacating a Final Four, that's not fun for anybody," Pastner said. "But I don't think there is any black-eye. It's looking to the present and the future and keeping very positives , looking at the glass as overflowing. That's what we are focusing on."

Some believe Calipari should face sanctions at Kentucky for what went wrong at Memphis. But it's unlikely he will since he wasn't named in the NCAA report.

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Former Memphis basketball coach and current Kentucky coach John Calipari, right, enjoys a laugh with Gov. Steve Beshear as they served food on the opening day of the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, Ky., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

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Former Memphis basketball coach and current Kentucky coach John Calipari, center, enjoys a laugh with former Kentucky player and current state Agriculture Commissioner Richie Farmer, left, and Gov. Steve Beshear during the opening day of the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, Ky., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Memphis will be forced to vacate the record 38 victories from its Final Four season of 2007-08, according to a report by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Former Memphis basketball coach and current Kentucky coach John Calipari listens to a question as he attends the opening day of the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, Ky., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Memphis will be forced to vacate the record 38 victories from its Final Four season of 2007-08, according to a report by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Former Memphis basketball coach and current Kentucky coach John Calipari listens to a question as he attends the first day of the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, Ky., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. Memphis will be forced to vacate the record 38 victories from its Final Four season of 2007-08, according to a report by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Former Memphis basketball coach and current Kentucky coach John Calipari, right, answers questions while former Kentucky player and current state Agriculture Commisioner Richie Farmer listens during the opening day of the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville, Ky., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

University of Pittsburgh head basketball coach Jamie Dixon throws a ceremonial first pitch before the Pittsburgh Pirates take on the Milwaukee Brewers in the baseball game in Pittsburgh, on Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2009. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

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. Catholics attending Mass Sunday morning said the high-profile coach, a self-professed Roman Catholic, should be given another chance. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

Judge Hugh Smith Haynie looks on at right as Karen Sypher testifies in her divorce proceeding with Tim Sypher in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino has admitted to a sexual encounter with Karen Sypher. Sypher is accused of trying to extort as much as $10 million from Pitino. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

University of Louisville basketball equipment manager Tim Sypher listens to Karen Sypher's testimony during their divorce trial in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino has admitted to a sexual encounter with Karen Sypher. Mrs. Sypher is accused of trying to extort as much as $10 million from Pitino. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

Karen Sypher waits for court to begin in her divorce proceeding with Tim Sypher in Louisville, Ky., Friday, Aug. 14, 2009. Louisville basketball coach Rick Pitino has admitted to a sexual encounter with Karen Sypher. Sypher is accused of trying to extort as much as $10 million from Pitino. (AP Photo/Ed Reinke)

This is the second time, however, that a program has had a Final Four season wiped out under Calipari's watch. UMass lost its 1996 Final Four after the NCAA found improper contact between Marcus Camby and two sports agents.

But none of those issues changes the mind of Pastner on Calipari, who gave him an opportunity last offseason.

"All I can speak on is my feelings on Coach Calipari," Pastner said. "I think the guy is one of the best coaches in the game today of any level. I think he is a future Hall of Famer.

"He's a guy who has been very good to me. I learned a tremendous amount from Coach Calipari from a year under him. I think he is one of the very very best coaches at any level. And in my opinion, without question he's going into the Hall of Fame."

All the same, Pastner seems anxious to move forward with his program.

"We've kept a real positive attitude and the only thing we focused on is the current and future of the program, highlighting what we have in front of us, the vision we have," he said. "You can sit there and dwell on the negativity, I call it living in fear, then you start stressing about `What if? What if?' We took the nature of being faith based and focused on the present and the future and went from there."

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this article.

Final Four, Not Josh Pastner's Optimism, Vacated in Memphis originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 18:21:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NCAA Tells Memphis 2008 Was Just Like 1985: It Never Happened

Chas Rich — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:51:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Conference USA, SEC, Coaches, Media Watch

For the second time in his career, John Calipari may again be the best coach never to have been to a Final Four, at least according to the NCAA.

According to sources that leaked it to most major sports media and the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the Memphis Tigers will be forced to vacate their 2008 Final Four appearance and the 38 wins they had in the 2007-08 season. That, at least will be the decision of the NCAA Rules and Infractions Committee.

This, of course, will be the second Final Four appearance by a Calipari coached team to be vacated due to player eligibility issues -- something that is singularly unique to Calipari, and not accomplished by any other coach. Not in a way, though, that will enhance his resume. The odds are that the basketball Hall of Fame will not be calling on him soon.

The 1996 UMass squad had their appearance also vacated because of the eligibility of Marcus Camby. His eligibility had been compromised for accepting cash and gifts from a street agent. Like the UMass affair, John Calipari was not found to be at fault, and had already left for a bigger contract.

This is also the second time Memphis has had a Final Four appearance vacated. Its 1985 appearance in the Final Four under Dana Kirk was also vacated due to numerous NCAA violations.

The only good news for Memphis is that there do not appear to be any penalties going forward on the program. Memphis and new coach Josh Pastner can attempt to rebuild from the rubble of a Calipari departure and NCAA investigation without a postseason ban or loss of scholarships.

John Calipari, of course, is ensconced safely in Kentucky with a top-10 preseason team and a huge new contract. Derrick Rose is happily playing in the NBA with his hometown Chicago Bulls.

NCAA Tells Memphis 2008 Was Just Like 1985: It Never Happened originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:51:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Latavious Williams to Play Basketball in China, Not Memphis

Matt Snyder — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:45:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis, Conference USA, NBA Prospects, Recruiting

Before the NBA enacted its minimum age requirement, people were worried about kids forgoing a collegiate education to jump straight to the NBA. The still relatively new rule is instead having an effect its supporters may not have considered: Kids are going overseas to play basketball for money just out of high school.

The newest member of the now three-man club (joining Jeremy Tyler -- who is actually skipping his senior year of high school -- and Brandon Jennings) is Latavious Williams, who had previously committed to Josh Pastner's Memphis Tigers. Every story is unique, but Williams is a complete 180 from the cases of Tyler and Jennings.

Tyler is likely to be a lottery pick whenever the NBA decides he's old enough to join them. Jennings wanted to attend Arizona but didn't academically qualify, but he's such a big-time prospect he's made more than $1 million to play in Italy. Last month in the NBA draft, he was selected 10th overall and should easily make over $1 million a year to play in the NBA.

Williams hasn't yet been ruled academically eligible to play for Memphis, but Pastner told Fox Sports he thought there was a 50 percent chance of that still happening.

Williams also is not a big-time NBA prospect. He was ranked as high as 17 by some recruiting websites for the incoming class, which means he would need to polish his skills at the collegiate level before being a sure-fire NBA prospect ready to make millions. According to who Fox Sports calls Williams' "mentor/advisor," Trey Godfrey, Williams felt a financial burden.

"He made the decision when taking into account his family situation," said Godfrey, who is a certified agent who maintains there is no agreement in place with Williams. "He wants to put himself in a situation where he can help out and he saw this as a good opportunity."

Considering the fact that Williams may never be a strong enough basketball player to make it in the NBA, this is not as much a minimum age issue as it is a somewhat isolated case of a young man wanting to help his family monetarily. If they could have survived a few more years in their current situation, it's still more an issue of him wanting an immediate payday instead of the minimum age requirement, because Williams would not have been drafted this past June by any team in the NBA.

There will be those who judge him for not trying to get an education, but he's going to make a lot of money as an 18-year-old. Our time would be better spent worrying about kids without the means to make money who can't get into schools after graduating high school.

Still, if nothing else, it's a bit odd to see 18-year-old kids going to China or Europe to make money playing hoops when they aren't allowed to do so here.

Latavious Williams to Play Basketball in China, Not Memphis originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 22 Jul 2009 15:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lance Stephenson Has Really Limited Choices

Chas Rich — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:52:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis, Conference USA, Mid-Majors, Campus, Recruiting, Rumors

Lance Stephenson is one of the top high school players in the country. He was a McDonald's All-American. He is also just about the only major recruit not running screaming from the rubble of USC that is without a college destination.

Where once he seemed headed for Kansas, that door has closed. Arizona opted against wanting him. Now Maryland has decided they are not interested any longer.

At this point, the only programs that still seem to be pursuing him have nearly as many warts as he does. The choices for Stephenson have dwindled to a school under a major NCAA cloud and one that toils in obscurity, but with a new "name" coach.

Memphis needs talent and recruits. As the Tigers wait to find out what the NCAA has in store for them, they see no risk at this point in taking a player that will certainly draw heavy scrutiny from the NCAA for his academics and the Born Ready web documentary of Stephenson.

The other is regular Sun Belt Conference cellar dweller, Florida International now being coached by Isiah Thomas. Thomas tried to get Stephenson interested right after being hired, but it seemed to go nowhere. Now Pete Vecsey is reporting (for whatever that is actually worth) that Stephenson may be reconsidering the Miami school.

While in Orlando, an on-campus source informed me the Lincoln HS whiz had a sleepover a couple of weeks ago at Florida International University in Miami.

It is more rumor than anything else -- but what do you expect with a Vecsey story. Still considering Stephenson came from the same high school as Stephon Marbury, and Thomas' own history with Marbury the storyline seems too juicy to resist (or make up?).

In all the scenarios Lance Stephenson considered coming out of his senior year of high school, this definitely was not one of them.

Lance Stephenson Has Really Limited Choices originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:52:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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With 'Bama in the Books, Florida State, USC, Memphis Back in NCAA Spotlight

Jim Henry — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis, USC

Like or loathe the NCAA, this much is certain about this unique, voluntary association that houses the largest collegiate athletic organization in the world:

It's good to be the King -- and royalty certainly works at its own pace and plays by its own rules.

Following Thursday's announcement that 16 teams at the University of Alabama have been penalized for their involvement in improperly obtaining free textbooks for other students, three high-profile NCAA investigations are currently on the books for fans to score at their leisure.

Officials from the University of Memphis met with the NCAA Committee on Infractions in Indianapolis last Saturday to answer allegations of major violations within the men's basketball program under then-coach John Calipari during the 2007-08 season.

The meeting, which was closed to the public and media, reportedly lasted about four hours. A decision on a ruling is expected in 6-to-8 weeks.

At Florida State, the NCAA Infractions Appeals Committee has notified FSU that it had granted the school's request for a 14-day extension to submit a rebuttal to the NCAA Committee on Infractions. FSU has confirmed that the new deadline is July 1 to appeal sanctions imposed in the wake of an academic misconduct case.

This is just another step of a process that will likely go into the fall, according to FSU officials. The scandal first surfaced and was investigated by the school in March 2007, and the fallout could cost head football coach Bobby Bowden 14 victories.

Word is the NCAA has not moved from its position that FSU must vacate victories in multiple sports, including football and track, which would also lose a national championship. Such a penalty would leave Bowden, who turns 80 in November, unable to keep pace with Penn State's Joe Paterno.

Bowden has 382 wins, one fewer than the 82-year-old Paterno. Bowden has said it would be unfortunate if the NCAA ends that battle, but he wouldn't lose any sleep over it. Hopefully, coach is fluffing his pillow after the NCAA ruled that Alabama has been ordered to vacate an unspecified number of victories between the 2005 and 2007 seasons.

It's a safe bet nobody at Alabama will be tossing and turning at night over vacated victories, especially since the football team won't lose any future scholarships and postseason opportunities. That decision ensures the Crimson Tide will remain on equal footing with its fellow Southeastern Conference powers.

In other words, it won't hurt the program's ability to continue to compete -- isn't that what NCAA penalties are supposed to do? -- and make money -- and isn't that what Big Business is supposed to do?

While many believe Bowden's future at FSU could depend on the school's appeal, the only season actually in question is 2010. FSU has a contract in place with offensive coordinator Jimbo Fisher to take over by 2011 or it will pay a $5 million penalty -- and FSU President T.K. Wetherell has said that's not going to happen.

Of course, the NCAA's hush-hush handling of FSU's appeal has drawn the attention of elected officials in Florida.

The NCAA secretly responded to the Seminoles' appeal and that's a no-no under Florida's open government laws. Wetherell said he asked the NCAA to release its response to FSU, but the NCAA denied the request. The NCAA also had the university's outside counsel sign a confidentiality agreement, and The Tallahassee Democrat reported Thursday that civil and criminal actions were threatened if the agreement was violated.

Alexis Lambert, the sunshine and public records lawyer for Attorney General Bill McCollum, said Thursday that Florida statues are clear that a third party -- NCAA can take a bow -- that generates a document cannot designate it to be private.

Across the country, at the University of Southern California, weeks have also turned to months and months to years. On April 24, 2006, the NCAA became a participant in the school's investigation into allegations that star football player Reggie Bush broke rules by accepting cash, a car and free housing from to San Diego businessmen who hoped to profit from him after he turned professional.

The men's basketball team is now under NCAA scrutiny following recent accusations against ex-Trojans coach Tim Floyd, who resigned Tuesday, and his former marquee player, O.J. Mayo, who is accused of accepting cash and other benefits from a middleman representing a sports agency before and during the one season he played for the Trojans in 2007-08.

NCAA investigations into the football and basketball allegations have been combined into one probe of the Trojans' athletic program. The NCAA reportedly wants to determine whether USC lost "institutional control" over its athletics program and is examining whether USC administrators knew of any transgressions, or should have known by being vigilant.

In recent interviews with Los Angeles newspaper and radio outlets, USC coach Pete Carroll indicated the university has cooperated fully with the NCAA.

A Los Angeles Times story published Sunday examined USC's policies concerning an NCAA investigation into allegations against the Trojans' football and men's basketball programs. The story said USC had not directly interviewed at least two of its main accusers, and pointed out that school personnel were under instructions not to talk publicly about issues connected to the investigation.

"This is really an old investigation that has taken to this point ... really we haven't heard anything, I haven't heard a question about it in a couple of years now," Carroll said last week on Los Angeles sports talk radio "The Petros and Money Show" in regard to the Bush allegations.

"We contributed in every possible way with the investigation, we gave them all the information, we gave them all of our records, we did everything we could possibly do to contribute to the process of putting all the information together within the university and with the NCAA. ... There's nothing new about it, nothing changing, nothing happening, I think they've done all of their homework on the football program."

The NCAA, a voluntary association of about 1,200 institutions, as well as conferences and individuals that organize the athletic programs of many college and universities around the country, takes its homework seriously. And least that's the image it portrays, though many will argue the organization is all bark and no bite when it comes to dealing with established schools.

What's a little public embarrassment compared to fat deposit slips?

Still, it was 1952 when membership created the mechanism that allows the NCAA to enforce its legislation. That legislation, at least on the surface, is self-explanatory. And it also goes without saying that card-carrying schools that don't abide by NCAA legislation can find themselves in hot water.

Allegations of rules violations are referred to the NCAA's investigative staff. A preliminary investigation is initiated to determine if an official inquiry is warranted and to categorize any resultant violations as secondary or major. If several violations are found, the NCAA may determine that the school as a whole has exhibited a "lack of institutional control." The institution involved is notified and may appear in its own behalf before the NCAA Committee on Infractions.

Findings of the Committee on Infractions are reported to the institution. Sanctions will generally include having the institution placed on "probation" for a period of time, in addition to other penalties that could be as extreme as the "death penalty." The NCAA can ban institutions from participating in certain sports. It's the most severe punishment in athletics that a school can receive, and has been implemented only five times.

Of course, the institution may appeal the findings or sanctions to an appeals committee.

Let's also keep in mind the NCAA does have a sense of humor. When an NCAA investigator involved in the USC case walked into his office one morning, he discovered that a co-worker had hung a USC banner on the wall. And let's not forget about the NCAA's heart either. After it initially ruled that Oklahoma had to vacate its nine football victories during the 2005 season because of violations involving players working at a local car dealership, the Sooners successfully appealed that verdict.

NCAA bylaws forbid schools from publicly disclosing information from the association's investigations until the probes are complete. But colleges are not barred from going public with their own findings, including material that might exonerate the school, NCAA officials say.

"We don't put a gag order on a school," NCAA spokeswoman Stacey Osburn told the Los Angeles Times. "And they can do their own complete investigation. ... It's an incredibly common practice for schools to self-impose penalties."

Carroll stressed the university has been diligent in its investigation into the allegations against the football and basketball programs.

"The whole issue whenever somebody comes after the university with allegations is of great concern and we take it extremely seriously," he said during his radio interview.

"However, in terms of the football program there hasn't been a topic raised in years. That doesn't mean the investigation is closed, we just don't hear anything about it. What's came up in basketball, somebody made an allegation against the program and so those have to be dealt with. You can count on the university to be contributing in every way and cooperating in every way in that they can possibly do with the NCAA and understand what's going on. We are not instructed go ahead and talk outwardly and throw our opinions around about what's going on because it's an on-going investigation and we have to respect that."

In their meeting with the NCAA, Memphis officials, meanwhile, answered charges that Derrick Rose, who played only the 2007-08 season at Memphis before becoming the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls, cheated on his SAT while attending Chicago's Simeon Career Academy. Former Memphis coach John Calipari, now at Kentucky, participated in the hearing by phone from China, where he is on a previously scheduled trip.

Memphis officials last week released the findings of an internal investigation, which turned up no proof that Rose had a stand-in take his SAT. The Tigers also are accused of providing improper travel-related benefits to Rose's older brother, Reggie.

"Although we cannot comment on the specifics of what occurred during the hearing, I can say that, as president, I reiterated the university's commitment to NCAA rules compliance," Memphis president Dr. Shirley Raines said.

"As a member institution with several of our staff participating in NCAA leadership positions, I expect the university to live up to its commitment. We believe we were able to fully answer the committee's questions and present the actions that we have already taken based upon our internal investigations. Throughout this process, we have had a cooperative relationship with the NCAA enforcement staff, and we want to thank the NCAA for that.

"We are hopeful that we will receive a favorable decision on behalf of the university in this matter. We appreciate your interest and we look forward to having more to say after the committee has released its decision."

The NCAA is on it.

It's good to be the King.

With 'Bama in the Books, Florida State, USC, Memphis Back in NCAA Spotlight originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 20:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Six More Weeks of Anxiety for Memphis

Tom Ziller — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Coaches, Recruiting

Memphis officials, Kentucky coach John Calipari and the NCAA had their little four-hour pow-wow Saturday concerning that whole SAT scandal. The verdict? No verdict for six weeks or so, reports the Associated Press. As Clay Travis discussed Friday, Calipari is ~~hiding~~ chilling in China and had to phone in to the assuredly awkward hearing. (Note that he had to phone in. The NCAA demanded he participate, even if he's on the other side of the planet.)

Six weeks (or more) leaves a lot of time for Tigers fans to sweat the impending doom of (gasp!) NCAA sanctions. But even more, it provides the opportunity for more allegations to come out against the program. Since the Derrick Rose story came to light, reports have placed the SAT scores of Robert Dozier in question. Another month-and-a-half leaves plenty of time for more shady recruiting stories to pop out.

That may sound unfair, but Memphis has quite obviously put itself in this position by apparently taking compliance so lightly. Taints spread. (Uh, let me rephrase that.) You can't quarantine a plague, and between Calipari's record of violations at Massachusetts, the Memphis program's close relationship with pro facilitator William Wesley and these incredible allegations, there's no stopping the rumor machine. At some point, we'll just assume every player in Memphis blue might not have become eligible legitimately.

Of course, one could argue such an attitude should be taken toward all college basketball players, especially in this era of the age limit, where (Brandon Jennings aside) kids have no viable choice but to force themselves into a university.

Six More Weeks of Anxiety for Memphis originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Sat, 06 Jun 2009 16:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is Calipari Sweating Yet? Who Knows ... He's In China

Clay Travis — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Campus, Coaches

Saturday, Memphis appears before the NCAA Infractions Committee to discuss the Derrick Rose -- excuse us, name redacted -- imbroglio. Kentucky coach John Calipari will not be physically present. Why not? Because he has a previously scheduled trip to China. Boy, is that convenient. Coach Cal has known since mid-January that Memphis would be appearing before the infractions committee on June 5-7, 2009 (the letter preceding the notice of allegations informed Memphis of this date), and he just happens to schedule a trip to China during that time?

What a coincidence!

Calipari informed the NCAA via letter that he'd love to attend the hearing, but would be in China. The NCAA replied that they wanted him there anyway, by phone if necessary, foiling Calipari's ultimate rejoinder. "The NCAA hearing? I don't know anything about that. I was in China when they had the infractions hearing!"

This would be much funnier if I didn't believe the China gambit was planned by Coach Cal solely to put him as far as physically possible from the hearing, literally on the other side of the globe from Indianapolis. High comedy.

I'm picturing Cal sitting on the phone with his agent crossing off potential travel destinations. Cal to cronies, "I've got to be outside the country, as far from America as I can possibly get." It's a wonder Cal didn't choose to explore the virgin areas of the Amazon, so that this letter could arrive from his counsel:

"Due to his long-standing fascination with pink dolphins, Coach John Calipari will be traveling in the back country of the Amazon. There will be no telephones to reach him, no potential way to track him down. He regrets the inconvenience."

NCAA meet college basketball's own, Dr. Livingstone. One half expects for NCAA chairman Myles Brand to show up in Hangzhou with his hand outstretched, "Coach Calipari, I presume."

But honestly, is anyone else surprised? Cal to China during an NCAA hearing is, roughly speaking, five billion times as predictable as Nixon to China ever was. The only thing more ridiculous would be if Derrick Rose was currently visiting Australia. Or in China with Cal. (Does anybody have a GPS on World Wide Wes? I've heard he's a longtime disciple of the Dalai Lama. He's in the only place in the world where a cell phone ringing leads directly to lobotomy. Wes and Richard Gere are playing hide the gerbil from China.) Meanwhile Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson is putting his master's degree in P.E. from Northern Iowa to work. He's standing in front of a large globe.

"Astounding," Johnson remarks as he prepares for the NCAA hearing where he'll toss up his hands and say Memphis knew nothing about Rose's eligibilty, "who knew the world was round? Bully, we'll just dig a hole straight to China and that way Coach Cal can be both places at once."

Meanwhile Coach Cal is learning all he can about the Ming dynasty. He's always been a huge fan of the Ming dynasty. That's what he'll tell the UK basketball faithful when he comes back from China. "Y'all, John Wall is the Hongwu Emperor of the Big Blue Dynasty," Calipari will say. The crowd will cheer madly. Of course right now John Calipari could stand up in front of the UK fan base and say, "When each of your daughters turn 18, they belong to Patrick Patterson." And people would cheer even louder, tossing their camouflage UK hats high into the air in raucous celebration. "By God, Suzy Lee's son is going to have some height," they'd say.

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Crew members for NASCAR driver Joey Logano (20) right, wait to be fueled as rain falls at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., before the day begins for qualifying for the NASCAR Pocono 500 auto race, Friday, June 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton, Sr.)

Crews push cars for NASCAR driver David Ruetimann (00), left, and Kasey Kahne (9), right, to be fueled as rain falls at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pa., Friday, June 5, 2009. The Pocono 500 is scheduled for Saturday. (AP Photo/Russ Hamilton, Sr.)

Baltimore Orioles' Aubrey Huff slides back to third base late as he is caught leading off by the Seattle Mariners' Rob Johnson in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Seattle, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Baltimore Orioles manager Dave Trembley (47) argues with home plate umpire Tony Randazzo after a ball hit by Orioles' Aubrey Huff was originally called a home run, then reviewed and called a foul in the first inning of a baseball game in Seattle, Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

Seattle Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki, of Japan, singles in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles, extending his hitting streak to 27 games, during a baseball game in Seattle on Wednesday, June 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Kevin P. Casey)

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)

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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)

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But false bravado aside, Coach Cal is nervous, very nervous as night comes to China. He's sitting down in the Beijing Kentucky Fried Chicken (you know he'll eat there) attempting to enjoy his drum stick and coke, while all the while the gnawing fear of the NCAA investigation stalks his every move. What if someone talks? He takes a bite of his drumstick, stares over his hunched shoulder. Reaches up to assure that his Chinese hair gel is still working, that his hair hasn't moved, that the sangfroid Coach Cal exterior is still in place. How could he, he of all people, have forgotten to pack his hair gel?

Because he's scared, very scared.

Cal knows recruiting one-year players for college basketball is built on a mountain of lies. They all pile up, one after the other so rapidly that it's hard to know the calculus of collapse. Careers are always, precariously, one Jenga block being pulled away from ruin. That's why Cal's looking over his shoulder. Why he's hoping that even on the other side of the world, people don't become aware of all the nervous tics that give away his fear.

Fortunately, I know the 10 signs that Cal is nervous.

1. He's changed the names on his telephone numbers so that "World Wide Wes" now appears as "Bill Keightley's widow."

2. After weeks of telephoning Kentucky football coach Rich Brooks with this plea, "I'm telling you, you've got to look at A.J. Stewart as a tight end, he'd be a stud." He's now given up pawning off Stewart on anyone else.

3. The other day he drove by Billy Clyde's abandoned house and thought to himself, "Man, Gillispie's one lucky guy."

4. He's shelved plans for his own Lexington restaurant, a la Pitino, because the first question he was asked was, "Do you want banners hanging from the ceiling?"

5. On late night walks around the Kentucky basketball offices he occasionally pauses in front of Adolph Rupp's portrait and repeats over and over again, "I am not a crook, I am not a crook, I am not a crook."

6. He logs onto CatsPause, pours a full glass of bourbon, and reads threads from anonymous posters because they make him feel better. Even if some of them misspell his name.

7. He no longer uses the UMass Final Four banner as his bedspread because he's making room for the one from Memphis.

8. After 498 consecutive tic-tac-toe losses, Kentucky athletic director Mitch Barnhart finally beat him in a game since Cal neglected to make any moves. When Barnhart exulted over his victory on his sixth move, Coach Cal didn't even bother to explain that Barnhart was playing against himself.

9. While appearing before a group of alums in Owensboro, Ky., Calipari exulted, "I love it here. Absolutely love it. I will never leave Memphis, cross my heart."

10. As he stares at the Great Wall, Calipari sighs, then turns to his traveling companions and says, "Check with Governor Beshear about building one of these on the banks of the Ohio. I want it in my contract. When the NCAA mongols come for me, and they will come, they'll be traveling south from Indiana. A wall will stall them. I'll be gone from here by then."

Is Calipari Sweating Yet? Who Knows ... He's In China originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:29:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memphis Is Not Trying to Be Funny, Really

Chas Rich — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:44:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis, Conference USA, Media Watch

Great timing, Memphis. Pay a visit to the Tigers' Athletic Compliance page and you'll see that it is "temporarily under construction" (hat tip to Gary Parrish at CBS Sports).

I'm sure Memphis' athletic department has a lot on its plate in preparation for tomorrow's hearing before the NCAA Rules and Infractions Committee, but they might want to get on this.

Memphis Is Not Trying to Be Funny, Really originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 10:44:00 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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Update: Memphis Knew About Allegations For Over a Year

Matt Snyder — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EST

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

When initial reports surfaced of the allegations against the University of Memphis when it came to an anonymous freshman's contested SAT results, most assumed the University learned of the charges on January 16, 2009 when they received a letter of discovery from the NCAA. According to an ESPN report by Andy Katz, that isn't exactly true.

The University of Memphis actually found out about the nefarious testing allegations via email, and they found out just one month after their April 7, 2008 NCAA Championship appearance. Public assumptions -- due to the logistics of the allegations -- point to then-freshman superstar Derrick Rose, who now plays for the NBA's Chicago Bulls.

According to Sheri Lipman, legal counsel for Memphis, the school began looking into the matter immediately with the NCAA.

Still, this doesn't appear to be getting any worse from Memphis' end. Rose is long gone, as is the coach from that season -- John Calipari has departed to Kentucky. Katz wrote that Calipari was "floored that Rose could have been ineligible." Presently, though, he's had more than one calendar year to come to grips with the revelation.

Memphis will still likely be facing nothing more than vacating the accolades of the 2007-2008 season. Josh Pastner will be able to move the program forward and attempt to wash the university's hands of the incident. Calipari appears to be in the clear and won't be receiving punishment while he pursues his new coaching job in Lexington.

Update: Memphis Knew About Allegations For Over a Year originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Mon, 01 Jun 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Memphis, Kentucky Athletic Directors Bungle John Calipari Situation

Clay Travis — Fri, 29 May 2009 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Kentucky, Memphis, Conference USA, SEC, Campus, Coaches, Fans

Lost amid the kerfuffle overtaking John Calipari, Memphis, and Kentucky is the question that everyone should be asking: Is your average athletic director smart enough to handle their job given the intense pressure and attention that now descends upon the position?

Most are old jocks who've risen to prominence through equal parts glad-handing and reminiscing about the good ole days. They aren't particularly skilled in the black arts of modern-day communications or even, necessarily, at managing multi-million dollar businesses. I've wondered about this for a while, but the ham-handed way that R.C. Johnson of Memphis and Mitch Barnhart of Kentucky have dealt with the John Calipari imbroglio, has convinced me that neither of these guys are up to the job with which they've been entrusted.

Let's begin with Memphis' Johnson. He has his master's degree in P.E. from Northern Iowa. I'm sure there are all sorts of brilliant people in charge of multi-million dollar businesses who chose to pursue graduate studies in P.E., but I can't think of any. His actions at Memphis confirm this opinion. First, he allowed Calipari to insert language into the letters of intent that his players were signing that allowed the players out of the deal if Calipari wasn't there any longer; this is unheard of. Secondly, he waged a war to keep Calipari at Memphis without firing the shot that would have ended Kentucky's pursuit of Calipari immediately, releasing the NCAA letter of inquiry.

It absolutely boggles my mind that Johnson didn't leak this letter when Calipari began flirting with Kentucky. Memphis received the NCAA's letter in January. Did they really think they were going to appear before the NCAA infractions committee and no one was ever going to find out? All Johnson had to do was leak the letter in the week after the basketball season ended and Calipari would have been at Memphis for another five years. It would have taken that long for this mess to blow over. What did Johnson have to lose by doing this? Calipari wouldn't have left for Kentucky -- the Wildcats likely wouldn't have taken him -- he might have lost some recruits but given Coach Cal's abilities as a snake-oil salesman, he probably still could have convinced the recruits to come to Memphis.

Instead Johnson rounded up the boosters, increased his financial package, engaged in a futile pursuit of Calipari, and ended up settling on a young replacement who is most famous for sitting next to Miles Simon on the bench at Arizona.

Swing and a colossal miss.

If he didn't want to leak the letter because he believed it violated his moral code, he could have called Coach Cal into his office and said, "Here's the deal, we'll increase your salary by $500,000 and I won't release this letter to the press. We'll stand by you through the investigation. You can sign right here. Or you can get on the plane to Lexington and before you land, it will be on the front page of the Lexington Herald-Leader Web site. They'll drop their pursuit of you and we won't give you the raise, but we'll still be happy to have you as coach."

Instead, the Memphis athletic department is on the hook for everything that Calipari has ever done at Memphis and the coach gets away with merely a dark cloud chasing him to Lexington.

Does this make any sense? R.C. Johnson couldn't have bungled this situation worse if he'd been intentionally attempting to sabotage his own program. But, and this is key, Kentucky's Mitch Barnhart makes R.C. Johnson's masters in P.E. look like a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford.

Barnhart raises incompetence to a whole new level.

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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)

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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)

First, let's be clear, whether you think Billy Clyde Gillispie is an uncouth idiot or not, his memorandum of understanding is valid. Kentucky's going to have to pay him a large percentage of the $6 million he's sued for before all is said and done. Don't let lawyers who have a dog in the fight try and convince you that this isn't a contract; lawyers will argue for whoever pays them the most. Right now both sides of the lawsuit are playing the media to convince non-lawyers that the other side is full of crap. That's normal. But, trust me, as an impartial observer, Gillispie has the much better position in this lawsuit. There's an offer, there's an acceptance, and adherence to the terms of the deal for two years. That memorandum is a functional contract. Everything else is just noise.

But what the hell is Barnhart thinking anyway? Who signs a coaching deal with someone and then refuses to expand upon a two-page memorandum because they want to be able to get out of the contract? Seriously, that's unbelievable. If you have that many reservations about a coach, how in the world is he your top choice? Making a decision like this convinced me that Barnhart was in over his head.

The subsequent interviews Barnhart gave this season convinced me of that even more. Barnhart was borderline unintelligible. Tubby Smith bailed out Barnhart by bolting for Minnesota, otherwise, Barnhart would have found a way to deed Rupp Arena to Smith and his representatives before that contract buyout was finalized.

Now, Barnhart and crew signed Big John even though they supposedly knew about the looming NCAA investigation. I know, I know, they claim that they cleared it with the NCAA. (Which, by the way, isn't permissible). They claim that Calipari assured them he had nothing to do with it, (Calipari: "Well, that depends on what the meaning of the word "know" is.") Really, when you get right down to it, Barnhart was so desperate to sign a big name to replace Billy G., he wouldn't have cared if Calipari had a side business smuggling Cambodians to Mexico. That's fine, but if you're a Kentucky fan don't you think you deserved the right to know that Coach Cal was on his way to ending up with two Final Four banners being stripped? I think so. The fact that they signed Cal without ever disclosing the investigation is a sham. They acted under the cover of night, because they likely believed they wouldn't be able to sign Calipari otherwise.

There's no doubt Coach Cal is smart, but he looks much smarter because he's playing three-dimensional chess against such weak bosses. That's how he managed to skip clean at UMass and Memphis while the programs crumbled in his wake. It's high time fans start paying more attention to the heads of their athletic departments, and demand something more than mere competence. They need someone smart enough to match wits with the smartest of coaches.

I can name 15 diehard Kentucky fans right now who would do a better job as athletic director than Mitch Barnhart. Same with Memphis. If you have any reasonably intelligent friends who happen to be fans of either program, you can probably do the same. With all the attention paid to coaches, and all the power they're accruing in today's collegiate game, isn't it more imperative than ever before that the man who is their ostensible boss have some semblance of ability? Gone are the days when athletic directors could be back slappers and good joke tellers, it's time for a new generation of athletic directors to take the reins. Guys who can do something more than negotiate great deals on tetherballs.

Memphis, Kentucky Athletic Directors Bungle John Calipari Situation originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Fri, 29 May 2009 18:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Why Not Cheat? It'll Only Cost a Banner

Greg Couch — Thu, 28 May 2009 18:45:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis, Coaches

"With the first pick in the 2008 NBA draft, the Chicago Bulls select Derrick Rose from the University of Memphis."

That's what NBA commissioner David Stern said 11 months ago. Now, the NCAA apparently thinks that someone else took Rose's SAT college entrance exam for him, helping him to be eligible at Memphis.

"With the second pick in the 2008 NBA draft, the Miami Heat select Michael Beasley from Kansas State University.''

When Beasley went to K-State, his AAU coach was hired as an assistant there. At $420,000 a year, that coach makes more than the entire assistant staffs at most schools. Consider it payment for delivery.

"With the third pick in the 2008 NBA draft, the Minnesota Timberwolves select OJ Mayo from the University of Southern California.''

The feds and the NCAA are looking into Mayo's relationship with USC and a street agent. An insider accused USC coach Tim Floyd of giving money earmarked for Mayo to the agent.

The news today about Memphis and Rose is seen as another knock on former Memphis coach John Calipari, who always seems to be suspected, but never convicted. He left Memphis this spring for one of the elite coaching jobs, Kentucky, and a huge payout.

How does Kentucky feel now about what it got itself into? What makes you think anything has changed? Kentucky knew what it was getting when it landed Calipari. He had a dirty rep, and he got the job. He is not, reportedly, accused of wrong-doing in this allegation, just like he wasn't when his program as UMass was busted years ago.

Now, Memphis, if found guilty, will likely have some smattering of minor penalties, fines and sanctions. And the talk is that it might even have to vacate its record 38-win 2007-08 season. Vacate its trip to the Final Four.

Vacate the Final Four? What does that mean?

The team went to the Final Four. It happened. Calipari got a better job, and more money. Memphis got its money, the NCAA got the money, CBS got the money. Rose certainly got his money. He was rookie of the year in the NBA, which got a Final Four-marketed player. And money.

But take down that banner.

Big deal.

I mean, Calipari had a Final Four vacated at UMass, too, over player Marcus Camby's connection to an agent. It never hurt him.

Kentucky knew all of that.

Here's the problem: The NCAA doesn't catch most rule-breakers. When it does, it doesn't give a meaningful punishments. So here's the dirty culture of college recruiting -- and that's not just about Calipari -- and a coach can go clean and miss out on stud recruits, or he can get dirty and feel confident he 1) won't get caught, 2) will get caught only after the stud recruit had played and his gone, or 3) will get weak sanctions.

Not to mention, the coach will already have slid to a better job off his dirty success.

Frankly, the NCAA makes things worth it to cheat.

That's exactly what Chad McEvoy has studied. He's an associate professor and coordinator of the Sport Management Program at Illinois State. He studied the major football programs that had received major NCAA penalties from 1987-2002, and found that teams in general didn't play any worse after the penalties than they did before them.

"So that begs the question,'' he said, "are the penalties penal?

"Having discussed this with the NCAA and the committee on infractions, they bring up counterpoints that to a certain degree the purpose on the penalties is not to impact negatively performance.

"But then what are they about? You can form a cost-benefit analysis, and in that way there's some incentives to cheat.''

Maybe the NCAA doesn't want to give too harsh of penalties, doesn't want risk hurting its best revenue earners. But the NCAA needs to be serious about penalties, and not just have the rulebook for PR reasons.

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Taking down a banner is no deterrent, and vacating victories means nothing, except, maybe to Florida State fans, who want football coach Bobby Bowden to win the bucket race with Penn State's Joe Paterno for career victories.

"The problem is the way that athletes cycle through, you end up penalizing people that didn't actually commit the penalties ,'' McEvoy said. "With Derrick Rose -- and that's just an allegation at this point -- but he is long gone. John Calipari is long gone, etc. O.J. Mayo is gone. You end up penalizing innocent victims that come along later.''

So the NCAA is reluctant to hit too hard, McEvoy said. But these coaches are acting on behalf of universities, and just because they leave, that doesn't mean the structure isn't still there. The old school and the old coach need to be smacked down.

Just something so that coaches think there can be a downside to cheating.

It doesn't pass the smell test that Calipari would be completely ignorant of one of his players having someone else take the SAT.

The NCAA doesn't specifically name Rose in its accusation, which was first reported by the Memphis Commercial-Appeal. But it accuses a player on the team only in 2007-08. Rose is the only one who fits that.

And Rose's AAU coach, Luther Topps, told the Chicago Sun-Times that the NCAA believes one of Rose's former teammates at Chicago's Simeon High took his SAT for him. The paper also reports that someone changed a grade for Rose at Simeon.

Memphis received notice of the allegations in January, and Calipari left for Kentucky on March 31. Kentucky knew. Calipari said in a statement that he will cooperate with the investigation, And UK officials, in an unsigned statement, said, "First and foremost, there are no NCAA allegations against UK Head Men's Basketball Coach John Calipari. Coach Calipari was forthcoming with the University of Kentucky during the hiring process... "

Why wouldn't he be? He's just thriving on the system.

Why Not Cheat? It'll Only Cost a Banner originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 28 May 2009 18:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kentucky Knew of Memphis Allegations Before Hiring John Calipari

Matt Snyder — Thu, 28 May 2009 13:00:00 EST

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

When the news of the NCAA investigation of the University of Memphis broke, the first thing that came to mind was that Kentucky is heading down the same road as Indiana -- having hired a coach who recently came under fire by the NCAA. The situation does seem a bit different, though, because the allegations at Memphis are allegedly not personally tied to John Calipari.

On the other hand, Kentucky knew the allegations were coming to a head and would be made public prior to the June 6 hearing. UK officials have released a statement that says as much.

First and foremost, there are no NCAA allegations against UK Head Men's Basketball Coach John Calipari. Coach Calipari was forthcoming with the University of Kentucky during the hiring process about any issues under investigation at the University of Memphis at that time.

It is normal procedure for the NCAA to ask a former coach to participate in a hearing. Therefore, Coach Calipari will participate as requested.

Coach John Calipari has received a letter from the NCAA stating that he is not at risk of being charged with any NCAA violations in this case.

Well, of course nothing will happen with Calipari. He fled the scene of the crime, just like he did at UMass. You say what you want about Calipari's likely shady recruiting practices, but he gets the players he needs to succeed and he's slick enough to avoid punishment. He's never been personally punished by the NCAA, yet it now appears two schools will have been punished in the wake of his voluntary exit.

At some point, that just can't be a coincidence anymore, can it? Just like it can't continue to be someone else's fault when phone violations were committed by schools with Kelvin Sampson at the helm or myriad infractions committed by Jim Harrick's schools. Infractions and violations don't just follow coaches around haphazardly. There's a reason Mike Krzyzewski, Tom Izzo and a bevy of other highly successful coaches are never questioned: They aren't dirty.

It would appear Calipari is, as long as you can add two plus two. The clock is ticking, Kentucky. Hopefully getting your man was worth it. Remember, administration knew of the allegations and still pushed hard for him. He might be able to land a national championship for the Wildcats before it happens, but eventually, they're going down. It's already happened twice, and strike three is in the future -- even if it's the distant future.

I guess you reap what you sow.

Chest-bump: E at The Dagger

Kentucky Knew of Memphis Allegations Before Hiring John Calipari originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 28 May 2009 13:00:00 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.

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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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Report: Memphis Under Investigation for Major Violations During Calipari's Tenure

Matt Snyder — Wed, 27 May 2009 22:40:00 EST

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

This has to be the absolute last thing on Earth the Kentucky administration and fans wanted to hear. Less than two months after one of the nation's most prestigious basketball programs snatched John Calipari from the University of Memphis, it has now been revealed that Memphis is under investigation by the NCAA for major violations. Obviously, these allegations took place during Calipari's tenure at Memphis.

The infractions at hand involve some possibly nefarious practices during an SAT exam for an unnamed player and that the university provided $2,260 worth of travel expenses for an "associate" of a player. Both of these allegations occurred during the 2007-08 season.

As the Commercial Appeal notes, the only player who played for the Tigers in the 2007-2008 season was Derrick Rose. Thus, it's pretty likely he was the team member in question, as the university allegedly committed "knowing fraudulence or misconduct" in concerns to his SAT test. Because of this, the team could be forced to vacate the 2008 national championship appearance, not to mention the NCAA-record 38 regular season wins.

As for Calipari, he may have dodged (another) bullet for now. He has not been named in the report of findings by the NCAA offices, though his attendance at Memphis' June 6 hearing with the NCAA Committee on Infractions has been requested.

It's still far too early in the process to make a legitimate comparison, but it almost seems eerily similar to the situation at Indiana with Kelvin Sampson. The Wildcats took a chance on a guy who has the reputation to be slick enough to get around rules from time to time, and they may end up paying dearly for it in the long run.

A major difference, however, is that Sampson had already been publicly handled by the NCAA before Indiana even hired him. Still, when a storied program goes after someone without a squeaky-clean record, they know they are gambling. We know Calipari left the University of Massachusetts with some allegations of wrong-doing when it came to Marcus Camby. He escaped any personal punishment, but the stigma lingered. It will be tough to shake said stigma in the wake of these charges, even if he really didn't have anything to do with the incidents.

As for Memphis, current head coach Josh Pastner was not on staff for any of the charges, thus, he'll come away from the incident unscathed personally. Professionally, though, he could be handcuffed in future recruiting, depending on how the NCAA finds the university.

Stay tuned, there is certainly much more to come on this story.

Report: Memphis Under Investigation for Major Violations During Calipari's Tenure originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 27 May 2009 22:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pastner Is Coaching Star in the Making

Shane Bacon — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:24:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis, Coaches

At first glance, Josh Pastner might not look like much.

He's just 31 years old but recently landed the head coaching job at Memphis after one of his mentors, John Calipari, jumped ship to Kentucky. His coaching experience isn't something that is going to knock you out of your computer chair, but the longevity of it doesn't compares to what he's been able to do in his short period as an assistant coach.

Memphis fans should be thrilled to have him.

Pastner hit the coaching world a-running at the University of Arizona after walking on as a player for Lute Olson. A member of the 1997 National Championship game, Pastner, was known for his ties to Houston. Pastner quickly brought players from the city to play for Arizona and was largely responsible for Nic Wise, Fendi Onobun and Garland Judkins all signing on with the Wildcats.

After serving under Olson, Pastner moved to an assistant job at Memphis this past season before taking over as head coach for 2009-2010.

Why does this move help Memphis? Pastner is a known workaholic who enjoys recruiting and has the brain for coaching. Pastner's father was a local AAU coach in Houston and taught Josh everything he needed to know about the game. Pastner is also a fairly sharp kid, finishing his degree in just two-and-a-half years.

If Calipari brought credibility to Memphis, Pastner brings hope and longevity.

Anyone that has spent a few minutes around the guy knows he is legit. He isn't the type to say one thing and do another. He will help continue the recent success of Memphis, even with Calipari far from the FedExForum. Pastner has seen the Final Four as both a player and coach, and that means a lot when you walk into the house of a top recruit to tell them you're the guy who will take them to the promised land.

He might not be a big name, but he's a guy who can do big things. The Tigers are facing a talent drain as top recruits Xavier Henry and Nolan Dennis and Memphis-lean John Wall are all re-considering their options, while DeMarcus Cousins has already committed to Calipari's newest team. But Memphis should remain on the list for any blue-chip talent. Josh Pastner could quickly become the next big thing in college coaching.

Pastner Is Coaching Star in the Making originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Thu, 16 Apr 2009 18:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bracketology Busters: Memphis Blues

Jacob Wheatley-Schaller — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:20:00 EST

Filed under: Memphis, Conference USA

Each week, ESPN's Joe Lunardi predicts the NCAA tournament field if the season ended today. While he's good at this, Lunardi only focuses on past performance, and wins and losses. Bracketology Busters looks at which teams should be expected to perform significantly better or worse than their projected seeds.

This week in Bracketology Busters we'll look at a couple teams that are both currently projected to be No. 2 seeds, but are going in dramatically different directions at this stage of the year. Today, it's a team that was front and center a year ago, but has been largely ignored this season despite performing at a similarly high level.

Memphis | Current Seed: 2 | Status: Underrated

You don't have to look too hard to figure out why the Tigers have flown under the radar for much of this season. After coming within inches of the national championship last year they lost their three best players, Derrick Rose, Chris Douglas-Roberts, and Joey Dorsey.

But even more important to their perception -- they were ranked 13th in the preseason AP poll -- was their performance over the first two months of the season. Since they don't play in a prominent conference, Memphis has to be impressive enough in their early season non-conference games to keep the hype machine rolling when Conference USA play gets underway in January.

Last season, of course, that's exactly what happened. The Tigers were 13-0 heading into conference play, with wins over Oklahoma, Connecticut, USC, Georgetown, and Arizona. Their dominance continued until late February, when they lost to Tennessee in one of the most anticipated games of the regular season.

This season couldn't have been more different. Memphis failed to notch any notable wins in their non-conference schedule, losing to Xavier, Georgetown, and Syracuse. The Tigers even fell out of the AP poll altogether after that third loss, and were faced with the prospect of entering C-USA play in relative obscurity.

Well, that didn't happen. After the Syracuse loss, coach John Calipari decided to move freshman Tyreke Evans over to point guard. It'd be hard to prove the causation, but the correlation between the move and the team's success is indisputable; the Tigers haven't lost in the last two months, winning 18 straight contests.

It hasn't just been the fact that they keep emerging victorious, but rather the fashion in which they've done it.

The most impressive performance was a dominant 68-50 road win over a very solid Gonzaga team. Memphis' stellar defense -- which has risen to first in the country in Ken Pomeroy's ratings, and by a pretty substantial margin -- was on display against the Zags, limiting them to just 50 points over 62 possessions.

And the Tigers' dominance certainly hasn't been limited to that one performance.

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Miami guard Jack McClinton reacts after scoring during an NCAA college basketball game against Wake Forest Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, in Coral Gables, Fla. McClinton's maniacal practice habits have helped to make him one of the best guards in the country. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Miami guard Jack McClinton, left, looks for an open teammate around Wake Forest guard Harvey Hale during an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2009, in Coral Gables, Fla. McClinton's maniacal practice habits have helped to make him one of the best guards in the country. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Brigham Young's Noah Hartsock, center, and Chris Miles, right, double team San Diego State's Tim Shelton during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (32) celebrates as time runs out during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against San Diego State Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009 in San Diego. Fredette scored 28 points in BYU's 69-59 win. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon grabs his head in the closing minutes of an NCAA college basketball game against Nebraska, in Lincoln, Neb., Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009. Texas A&M beat Nebraska 57-55.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Texas A&M's Josh Carter (23), drives past Nebraska's Ade Dagunduro, with Texas A&M's Bryan Davis, left, in the second half of their NCAA college basketball game in Lincoln, Neb., Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009. Texas A&M beat Nebraska 57-55.(AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Nebraska coach Doc Sadler instructs his players against Texas A&M in an NCAA college basketball game in Lincoln, Neb., Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009. Texas A&M defeated Nebraska 57-55. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Nebraska's Steve Harley reacts after Texas A&M's Josh Carter (not pictured) hits a 3-pointer in the final seconds to beat Nebraska 57-55 in an NCAA college basketball game in Lincoln, Neb., Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Brigham Young's Jimmer Fredette (32) shoots as San Diego State's Richie Williams (3) looks on during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2009 in San Diego. (AP Photo/Denis Poroy)

It's easy to gloss over that 12-0 C-USA record, but doing that ignores two important aspects of the streak. First, while none of their conference opponents are big time programs, Conference USA is hardly a slouch of a conference. UAB, Houston, Tulsa, and UTEP may not be particularly intimidating teams, but neither are Maryland, Providence, and Arkansas. Still, that didn't stop the latter three teams from beating North Carolina, Pittsburgh, and a full-strength Oklahoma, respectively. Even when you don't face premium talent every night, it's tough to not slip up even once, and that's what Memphis has managed to do.

The other impressive part of the Tigers' performance in conference play has been the margin of their victories. After 12 conference games, they've outscored their C-USA foes by an average of 18.5 points per game. That's slightly worse than last season's mark of 20.3, but when you consider their performance in non-conference games in 2009 -- the previously referenced Gonzaga win, and winning at Tennessee by two -- and compare it to last year, when they split two home games against those same opponents, Memphis has been just as impressive in early 2009 as it was over the first couple months of '08.

The Tigers visit C-USA's second place team, UAB, Thursday night in what should be an excellent matchup. That'll be a good barometer of just how good they are, but regardless of the result, Memphis definitely isn't a team the Tar Heels, Panthers, or any other No. 1 seed would want to see across from them on Selection Sunday.

Bracketology Busters: Memphis Blues originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ranking the Rankings: Pitt's Full Circle

Will Brinson — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Connecticut, Duke, Kansas, Memphis, Oklahoma, Wake Forest, ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, Media Watch

Ranking the rankings criticizes the critics when the polls come out.

Headlining: Pittsburgh beat Connecticut to kick off the week, led by DeJuan Blair's ridiculous 22-point, 23-rebound effort. It seemed relatively unlikely at the time that the Panthers could manage to jump both North Carolina and Oklahoma, providing that either one of the two won out for the week.

But then Saturday rolled around. The Tar Heels fell to Maryland and Oklahoma, without Blake Griffin for most of the game, coughed one up to Texas.

And suddenly, Pitt was No. 1 in both polls and without any real question to the matter. Just four first-place ballots went elsewhere. There shouldn't have been any debate, either. Memphis nearly lost to UTEP while the Panthers throttled DePaul to close out the week on a seven-game winning streak.

Free-Fallin': Wake Forest (20-5). Despite the dead-horse nature of "young Wake team in Cameron" from Sunday night, there's a little bit of truth to what people are saying about Dino Gaudio's team -- they've hit a wall. It's intriguing to see just how streaky Wake Forest, and specifically star guard Jeff Teague, played in Durham. Yes, they're obviously talented, but, no, they're probably not winning the national title this year.

You Gotta Rise Up: Duke (22-5). It's not so much that the Devils skyrocketed in the polls, it's just that they switched Elliot Williams into the starting lineup and pumped Mike Krzyzewski full of Red Bull for the six hours leading up to the Wake game. It was a bizarre turn for a team that seemed to be free-falling (hence their inclusion) and games at Maryland and at Virginia Tech this week could make for some interesting schizophrenic tendencies as well. But, frankly, I think the Blue Devils are much more likely to keep rolling.

Hyped: UCLA (20-7). The Bruins earned three of their seven losses over the past two-and-a-half weeks, dropping games to Arizona State, Arizona and Washington State. It's certainly a rough patch, although it is a stretch that includes a win over Washington. That's nice and all, but the problem, as Mr. Papagiorgio pointed out, is that it was UCLA's first win over a ranked opponent. Yet, somehow they're still in the Top 25. See where I'm going with this?

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In this Feb. 21, 2009 photo, Maryland's Greivis Vasquez (21) celebrates against North Carolina during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game in College Park, Md. Maryland upset North Carolina 88-85 in overtime. Now that the afterglow of beating North Carolina has faded, Maryland faces an even stiffer challenge: a matchup Wednesday against Duke, which ripped the Terrapins by 41 points a month ago. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

In this Feb. 21, 2009 photo, Maryland coach Gary Williams looks on from the sideline during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against North Carolina in College Park, Md. Maryland upset North Carolina 88-85 in overtime. Now that the afterglow of beating North Carolina has faded, Maryland faces an even stiffer challenge: a matchup Wednesday against Duke, which ripped the Terrapins by 41 points a month ago. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

In this Feb. 21, 2009 photo, North Carolina guard Ty Lawson (5) puts up a shot while being defended by Maryland's Greivis Vasquez (21) and Cliff Tucker (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in College Park, Md. Now that the afterglow of beating North Carolina has faded, Maryland faces an even stiffer challenge: a matchup Wednesday against Duke, which ripped the Terrapins by 41 points a month ago. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)

Kansas guard Taylor Tyshawn (15) is fouled as he passes away from Oklahoma guard Omar Leary in the second half during their NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Oklahoma, February 23, 2009. REUTERS/Bill Waugh (UNITED STATES)

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Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor drives to the basket against Oklahoma during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, Feb. 23, 2009 in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Injured Oklahoma player Blake Griffin watches his team during their loss to Kansas in their NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Oklahoma, February 23, 2009. REUTERS/Bill Waugh (UNITED STATES)

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Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor shoots a free throw against Oklahoma in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Monday, Feb. 23, 2009 in Norman, Okla. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Oklahoma guard Willie Warren (2nd L) drives against Kansas defenders Tyrel Reed (L) and Cole Aldrich (R) in the second half during their NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Oklahoma, February 23, 2009. REUTERS/Bill Waugh (UNITED STATES)

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Oklahoma's Cade Davis, left, and Willie Warren, right, sit on the bench in the final seconds of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas on Monday, Feb. 23, 2009 in Norman, Okla. Kansas won 87-78. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

Kansas head coach Bill Self (L) pumps his fist during his team's win over Oklahoma in the second half of their NCAA college basketball game in Norman, Oklahoma, February 23, 2009. REUTERS/Bill Waugh (UNITED STATES)

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Bunked: Kansas (23-5). What interests me is how high the pollsters will push the Jayhawks after their win over Oklahoma. I tend to think they might get discounted because Griffin didn't play on Monday. If that's the case, it seems a little bit silly since Kansas has only lost twice since the start of 2009, and those two losses were to Michigan State and Missouri. Yes, both teams are in the top 10.

WTF? Griffin didn't play Monday night because he couldn't pass the "Standard Assessment of Concussion." Like a good little blogger, I googled that mess to try and find out what kind of sheet Holly Rowe was actually holding up. And this link (a Word Doc) appears to best represent the test. Frankly, I hope they administered that before the season and gauged Griffin based on relative results, because there's almost no chance that I could pass that thing right freaking now.

People Who Vote Are Smart (Brought to You by Pollspeak.com): Roger Clarkson pulls the bizzaro ballot this week, and really it's for just two reasons. First of all, he has Wake Forest ranked seventh. That's unacceptable with the week the Deacons had, unless he missed the game Sunday night against Duke. That would actually be even more unacceptable. Secondly, he's got Memphis 12th. Twelfth! Something ain't stirring the Kool-Aid there.

Ranking the Rankings: Pitt's Full Circle originally appeared on NCAA Basketball FanHouse on Tue, 24 Feb 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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