NCAA accuses Memphis basketball of cheating

[DWKB]

Looks like Memphis may have to vacate their NCAA Final Four for playing a one year player who cheated on his SATs (Derek Rose *cough*)

Calipari now has left two programs in disaster. He knew about it in January and took the job at UK in March.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4210798

 

[Russ Smith]

IMHO this is part 2 of a 3 part act that will conclude with the NCAA accusing K State of violations in connection with Michael Beasley. Mayo, Rose and Beasley were all widely suspected of having amateurism problems, Mayo was the most obvious and got caught first.

one of the allegations against Rose is on at least 5 occasions an "associate" of his was allowed to fly on the team plane or stay in the team hotel. The name was "redacted" from the letter in the newspaper but everyone assumes it was Reggie Rose, Derrick's older brother and the guy everyone said was trying to cash in on his brother during the recruiting process.

UK has already said that Calipari disclosed everything to them before he was hired, that the NCAA said there were no allegations against Calipari himself so they do not expect this to have any impact on their hiring of Calipari as their coach.

So the interesting theory here is that Derrick Rose didn't sign with the agent that William Wesley is affiliated with, Leon Rose(no relation) but instead went with Arn Tellem's agency(BJ Armstrong is his agent). So the theory is Wes was pissed and leaked that Rose's test was not on the up and up. Ironically when Mayo's story broke he changed agents and hired... Leon Rose.

So Derrick Rose split with WWW, and OJ Mayo joined him.

I'll give an ETA of 6 months until there's a similar story about Beasley out there.

 

[Southpaw]

Calipari gets his money anyway he can and Kentucky deserves his act.

Derek Rose is another one and done calamity. For every Calipari willing to use his college for a better job, there are a few more Derek Rose's waiting to sign up.

Keep nailing the institutions and this crap just might end. Rose wins. Calipari wins. Rhode Island U and Memphis take the hit. I'd feel sorry for the institutions, but they knew.

I don't imagine Rose will have much to say. Kentucky will get busy with this and the Gillespie lawsuit.

 

[Russ Smith]

To be fair if you read the whole letter most of it has nothing to do with Memphis basketball, it's all about their womens golf coach. She was apparently cheating for years, they cite violatiosn from 04-08 including free meals, free clothes, free plane tickets etc for recruits and players.

The only allegations against the mens basketball program are that Rose cheated on his SAT and they knew or were complicit in it(they helped him cheat). That Rose's brother got free airplane rides and free hotels via the team. And the old story from months ago that a bigwig at Fed Ex called recruit Abdul Gaddy's mom to push her to get her son to commit to Memphis. Gaddy's mom worked for Fed Ex so she took the call thinking the bigwig was impressed with her work and then found out he was just trying to recruit her son and she reported it.

Of the 3, the stuff with Rose's brother I see no way Calipari could NOT know the guy didn't pay to be on the team plane or in the team hotels? To me it's just impossible to claim he didn't know about that, the other stuff he can plead I didn't know but I just don't buy he didn't notice Rose's brother sitting on the team plane?

 

[Russ Smith]

This one is getting ugly fast.

http://community.foxsports.com/blogs/goodmanonfox/2009/05/28/MORE_ON_MEMPHIS_CALIPARI_AND_ROSE

Jeff Goodman says the NCAA thinks Rose's HS teammate Kevin Johnson took the SAT for him. Also alleges the NCAA pressured former HS teammate Tim Flowers to tell them who took the test for Rose by telling Flowers he'd lose his eligibility if he didn't tell them.

Read the last comment from the former AAU coach:

Topps said that both he and Rose's former high school coach at Simeon, Robert Smith, weren't involved.

``[Smith and I] didn't know anything about his test," Topps said. ``Reggie moved me and him out of the way long before that, as soon as the money got involved."

Reggie is Derrick's older brother and the AAU coach is clearly sayign when people started offering money to get Rose to their school, Reggie cut out the coaches from the equation.

Mayo must be thrilled another scandal that gets his name off the front page for a while.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

For what it's worth - Jeff Goodman hates John Calipari. Absolutely begged Arizona to not consider him even when it looked like Cal was going to get the job. He's probably laughing somewhere and Jim Livengood is breathing another huge sigh of relief. Once again old Simple Jim proves that being lucky is better than being good.

Honestly, after everything has come out can anyone dispute that Arizona got the best available coach on the market? Even if Calipari was never directly implicated the NCAA is going to be all over him and the UK program (a situation nobody wants because almost every program skirts the rules in some way) after the messes left at UMass and Memphis.

I feel bad for Josh Pastner. In retrospect had he stayed at Arizona he probably would've been the head coach right now but I'm not complaining.

 

[Russ Smith]

For what it's worth - Jeff Goodman hates John Calipari. Absolutely begged Arizona to not consider him even when it looked like Cal was going to get the job. He's probably laughing somewhere and Jim Livengood is breathing another huge sigh of relief. Once again old Simple Jim proves that being lucky is better than being good.

Honestly, after everything has come out can anyone dispute that Arizona got the best available coach on the market? Even if Calipari was never directly implicated the NCAA is going to be all over him and the UK program (a situation nobody wants because almost every program skirts the rules in some way) after the messes left at UMass and Memphis.

I feel bad for Josh Pastner. In retrospect had he stayed at Arizona he probably would've been the head coach right now but I'm not complaining.

Yep Goodman and Gary Parish both seem to dislike Calipari. Not sure if they just think he cheats, or it's more personal?

Totally agree UA's hire looks better every day with this stuff coming out now.

Pastner has enough issues with recruiting now as it is with Calipari poaching recruits, now he has to convince them that Memphis won't go on probation.

Their hearing is june 4th, allegedly USC will be heard around the same time. That means both should hear the outcome late August or September. so how do you recruit when the recruits won't know if you're on probation or not until that late in the game?

 

[Skkorpion]

Again, much ado about nothing that will ever change.

 

[Russ Smith]

Getting worse for Rose now. Chicago Sun Times says someone changed his transcripts(and 3 other players too) temporarily. Rose's grade in one class went from a D to a C, that was enough to help him qualify for memphis with the fraudulent SAT score. The grade was later changed back but the transcript that memphis submitted to the NCAA clearinghouse had the altered grade on it. The Sun Times says they were told there was absolutely no supporting documentation to explain why the grade was changed and when it was discovered, it was changed back for lack of documentation.

And now the former coaches are getting involved as both the AAU and HS coach are essentially throwing Rose and his family under the bus to protect themselves alleging any such cheating was done by Rose and his family with no involvement from the coaches or the program. They've already said the brother cut them out when money got involved now they're alleging the family was complicit in the grade and test cheating.

In other news another rumor out that Tim Floyd will be fired today by USC.
First rumor didn't pan out we'll see if this one does. Apparently another USC player(or recruit) has notified Mike Garrett he wants out and USC is probably going to can Floyd in the hopes they can stop even more kids from bailing out.

I have to admit I'm enjoying watching Floyd fall from grace but Calipari seems to be getting away with it and that's pretty frustrating.

 

[Southpaw]

Getting worse for Rose now. Chicago Sun Times says someone changed his transcripts(and 3 other players too) temporarily. Rose's grade in one class went from a D to a C, that was enough to help him qualify for memphis with the fraudulent SAT score. The grade was later changed back but the transcript that memphis submitted to the NCAA clearinghouse had the altered grade on it. The Sun Times says they were told there was absolutely no supporting documentation to explain why the grade was changed and when it was discovered, it was changed back for lack of documentation.

And now the former coaches are getting involved as both the AAU and HS coach are essentially throwing Rose and his family under the bus to protect themselves alleging any such cheating was done by Rose and his family with no involvement from the coaches or the program. They've already said the brother cut them out when money got involved now they're alleging the family was complicit in the grade and test cheating.

In other news another rumor out that Tim Floyd will be fired today by USC.
First rumor didn't pan out we'll see if this one does. Apparently another USC player(or recruit) has notified Mike Garrett he wants out and USC is probably going to can Floyd in the hopes they can stop even more kids from bailing out.

I have to admit I'm enjoying watching Floyd fall from grace but Calipari seems to be getting away with it and that's pretty frustrating.

I am loving this. What happened to honor amongst thieves?

Some observations of mine, for what they are worth.

USC is the top brand of NCAA football, thus they will never get sanctioned.

Memphis will take a hit, because outside of the Memphis city limits no one cares much about U of Memphis. NCAA will look like they give a crap and will wield their big stick.

Calipari is now coated in Teflon. He made it to the SEC. No one gets burned in the SEC.

Rose will just turtle up and collect his millions. NBA doesn't care about Rose , Beasley, Mayo indiscretions. They look like the morals police with the one and done rules.

 

[Skkorpion]

I am loving this. What happened to honor amongst thieves?

Some observations of mine, for what they are worth.

USC is the top brand of NCAA football, thus they will never get sanctioned.

Memphis will take a hit, because outside of the Memphis city limits no one cares much about U of Memphis. NCAA will look like they give a crap and will wield their big stick.

Calipari is now coated in Teflon. He made it to the SEC. No one gets burned in the SEC.

Rose will just turtle up and collect his millions. NBA doesn't care about Rose , Beasley, Mayo indiscretions. They look like the morals police with the one and done rules.

You are again correct, sir.

 

[Russ Smith]

I am loving this. What happened to honor amongst thieves?

Some observations of mine, for what they are worth.

USC is the top brand of NCAA football, thus they will never get sanctioned.

Memphis will take a hit, because outside of the Memphis city limits no one cares much about U of Memphis. NCAA will look like they give a crap and will wield their big stick.

Calipari is now coated in Teflon. He made it to the SEC. No one gets burned in the SEC.

Rose will just turtle up and collect his millions. NBA doesn't care about Rose , Beasley, Mayo indiscretions. They look like the morals police with the one and done rules.

In general I agree, Calipari will get away clean as will Rose. Don't forget the NBA has already sanctioned Mayo sort of. they suspended the agent from BDA who was funneling money to Mayo through Guillory. They suspended him for one year for breaking NCAA rules in relation to dealings with an amateur player, in other words for paying OJ Mayo. It doesn't "hurt" Mayo, but it's why I'm convinced that Mayo will eventually be ruled to have been an ineligible player, whether USC is blamed or not.

The NBA very CLEARLY had enough evidence that the agent was paying Mayo to suspend the agent. The NCAA has access to that same evidence, so clearly they already know Mayo was not an amateur, the whole question is did USC know, were they involved.

With Rose it's different his eligibility is more related to academics since so far nobody has said he took money before he got to Memphis.