Memphis not giving up Final Four run without fight
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP)—No banners are coming down anytime soon. Not the 2008 Final Four banner nor the one honoring three seniors for an NCAA-record 137 wins.
Memphis isn’t giving up any of its 38 victories without a fight.
The NCAA announced Thursday that Memphis must vacate the 38 wins and the national championship game appearance from the 2007-08 season as punishment for using an ineligible player believed to be NBA star Derrick Rose. Memphis didn’t wait even an hour before declaring plans to appeal what school president Shirley Raines called unfair penalties.
“If the appeal fails, the banners come down,” Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said.
Memphis has 15 days officially to notify the NCAA of its intent to appeal a punishment that came down 16 months after the Tigers lost the national title game in overtime to Kansas. Then there’s a 30-day window to file arguments why the best season in school history should remain on the books.
“We did everything we could to determine the student-athlete was eligible and that the rules were being followed,” Raines said.
School officials refused to detail that argument but Memphis will point to flaws in the NCAA eligibility center—the clearinghouse that approved the athlete before he was admitted and again when the university pointed out a grade change in high school. Johnson noted the center was lauded for doing a “great job” during the NCAA call announcing the penalties.
The NCAA said the infractions committee pressed Memphis officials during a June hearing about why steps weren’t taken in November 2007 to bench the ineligible player and avoid problems. Asked Thursday what will happen in the future if a player’s eligibility is in doubt, Johnson made the school’s position clear.
“If they’ve gone through the clearinghouse and cleared university admission requirements, then they will participate,” he said.
If upheld, then this will be the second time that both Memphis and now Kentucky coach John Calipari have had Final Four appearances vacated. Memphis also lost the 1985 Final Four under then-coach Dana Kirk, while Calipari’s 1996 trip with Massachusetts was erased.
“We would rather obviously that not happen,” Johnson said.
Raines thanked Calipari for cooperating with the investigation and noted he was not involved in any allegations. Calipari said he was “very disappointed and disheartened by the NCAA’s findings” in what will be his last comment until Memphis’ appeal ends. He’s happy coaching at Kentucky, where he has full support.
“I’m not worried about it because they have never said Coach Cal did anything wrong at all,” said Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear, who appeared with Calipari at the Kentucky State Fair on Thursday before the NCAA announcement. “I think he’s a very upstanding guy. I think that’s his reputation and I think that reputation will be with him here. I really don’t foresee any problems.”
Memphis finished 38-2 in 2007-08, setting the NCAA record for wins in a season. The infractions committee said it struck hard because the ineligible player was used the entire season. Rose played in all 40 games, starting 39.
The NCAA report did not identify the ineligible player by name, though descriptions of the athlete involved lead to the conclusion it could only be Rose. He was the lone player who was there just that season—a fact noted by the governing body of college sports. Rose went on to be selected by the Chicago Bulls as the No. 1 pick in the 2008 draft and later won the NBA rookie of the year award.
The player was accused of having another person take his SAT exam in Detroit so he would be eligible as a freshman after failing the ACT three times in Chicago.
Memphis was alerted to questions over the test and investigated. The player told officials he took the test. But SAT officials later conducted their own investigation and said letters were sent to the player in March and April 2008, the second three days after Rose and the Tigers lost to the Jayhawks.
The player did not respond to either letter, so the agency notified the player, the university and the NCAA’s eligibility center they were canceling his test in May 2008.
Rose issued a statement through his attorney Thursday and said “it is satisfying to see that the NCAA could find no wrongdoing on my part in their ruling.
“I think it is important for people to understand that I complied with everything that was asked of me while at the university, including my full participation in the university’s investigation of this issue, and was ultimately cleared to play in the entire 2007-08 season by the NCAA clearinghouse and the university.”
Memphis already has paid $85,000 and must return money received from the NCAA tournament to Conference USA while also being prevented from receiving future shares doled out in the conference’s revenue-sharing program—a total loss estimated at $530,000 on top of the $85,000 already paid by the school.
If Memphis loses the appeal, Johnson said approximately $300,000 in bonus money Calipari earned from that season would be paid back. The athlete? No, Memphis won’t ask for any refund from him.
Meanwhile, Tigers fans are trying to hold onto their memories after first losing Calipari to Kentucky earlier this year and now watching a magical season at risk of being erased. Lifelong fan Marcus Williams, 33, tried to be optimistic near campus Thursday.
“It could’ve been worse. We could’ve actually won the game, and they would’ve taken our national championship too,” he said.
AP Sports Writer Michael Marot in Indianapolis contributed to this report.
1164 Comments
1 - 25 of 1164
Report Abuse
When coaches and players opperate in the gray areas of rules and regulations it is very easy to enter the black thus recieving the needed punishment. Universities need to hire coaches who are above board in all they do. I hope Memphis and all the other schools learn from this and vow not to let it happen again.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Look at it.... faxt: testing service got it wrong not Memphis.
Fact: nothing to revealed that memphis had anything to do with testing the player.
Fact: How can any university have authority over the testing service, they cannot.
Fact: NCCA punish the wrong group because the testing service got it wrong not the institution.
Conclusion: Like Coach C or not he has done nothing wrong. Like Memphis State or not they have done nothing wrong... at least to this point no facts angainst either.
Like it or not ... this testing service is gulity.
p.s. I am college basektball fan with no favorite team but for me NCAA is out of control... ruling without any right to do so... memphis state after appeal... if necesary should go directly to court against NCAA.... no coubt about it.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Statement of Values
1) the University of Memphis seeks excellence in every activity and applies the highest standards to the endeavors of faculty, staff, and students.
2) we protect academic freedom and insist on tolerance of diverse views. this requires the rigorous pursuit of truth in an open forum.
3) we are committed to honesty, openness, and integrity in all of our processes and practices.
4) as a public institution, we serve the public interest and recognize responsibility for seeking ways to use our resources to meet public needs.
5) all qualified individuals, without regard to race, ethnicity, gender, age or sexual orientation will have equal opportunity at the University. We also recognize an obligation to provide the appopriate environment to accomodate diversity.
6) We are committed to the principles of shared governance, meaning that those who are responsible for and affected by the various functions of the University should have a voice in the policies that govern those actions. Shared responsibility goes along with shard governance.
7) The Univerwsity is committed to the well-being of those in our University community, including students, staff, faculty, alumni, and supporters.
President Shirley Raines - are your actions consistent with this mission statement?
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Facts are facts what world do you live in?? Notice I didn't just mention KU and how unfair the system is. What I am talking about is (I guess you need it spelled out for you) how the media, money, rankings, ratings, which school you are determines who people want to see in the championship games. Ask Utah, Boise State after their big upset wins. Or are you still nursing your sore toe that cost you your final year with the Phillies. I am not a K-State fan but look at the year they had 11-1 and went to the what was it the Holliday Bowl? If Duke, NC, USC, etc. are able to field the best teams on paper anyway why should they need any extra help from the ref's???? Remember the Titans, didn't happen to them, or hmm favoritism never happens. Michael Jordan never pushed off for that winning shot, or got a third step on the way to the basket. By the way I am a huge Jordan fan but facts are facts. Players never take gifts or money. The real issue is the athletes should be accountable for their actions. Couldn't this be likened to grand theft? How much is Memphis losing?? That should be a criminal offense, and the players who do such things should have to pay from their own pockets and or suspensions.
Report Abuse
Jayhawks, Darrell Arthur's high school grades and that in his senior year that 'went away' is just as bad as this. The NCAA somehow chose to sweep that one under the rug.
Maggette at Duke 10 years ago was ineligible, not banner's coming down from the rafters at Cameron.
Reggie Bush, Mayo at USC and no wins were 'taken away' from the Trojans.
If Memphis deserves this punishment and public embarassment, then so do folks in Chapel Hill, Durham, Westwood, or Lawrence, Kansas. Sure Memphis wasn't innocent in this deal, nor was Calipari, but an 'anonymous letter' spurred the SAT investigation. How many 'anonymous letters' or not-so-private outcries to dig deeper into Reggie Bush's skeleton-enriched closet, or Mayo's, or Maggette's spurred the NCAA to act against those Universities? Therefore the inequity is B.S. what's good for the goose should be for the gander as well.
Report Abuse
Tell me how can that be? Really... I am not memphis... take any institution...
testing service is gulity not the institution.... explain with FACTS please
and stop calling people wild names...etc... Explain?
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
I dont care if Rose cheated on the test , the most thing that count is that he is one of the best in the game and specialy in his early career.......
BULLS FANN
uh...I think your words just na-@#$% all over my screen...they are spelled wrong and really detract from the message you're tying to send out. Could you go back and change it to say something like, "nashat1987 is a moron"?
Thanks for your prompt attention in this matter...I look forward to a correction......
Report Abuse
I did say there were "holes" in my solution. Keep in mind that I had only truly thought of my solution in a matter of mere minutes. I do stand by my statement about the "unknowingly" part. Think of it this way, you're driving down the road and not paying attention because of something going on in your life and realize, just as you see the red and blue lights of a police cruiser, that you were going 10 over the limit. More than likely you will be getting a ticket. At the time, you didn't know that you were speeding...it still doesn't detract from the fact that you were doing something you should not have been doing. I believe that punishing the coach and player would in this case would help make sure that they both are more deligent about the players status. You surely don't expect me to believe that someone somewhere had no clue!? I believe I stated that in this case, the only person(s) that should be punished is the coach and the player. Thanks for the comment.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
lol
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
Actually, the only sport in which it really takes a whole team is baseball where, for example, Steve Carlton won the Cy Young Award in 1972 by winning 46% of the woeful Phillies' 59 victories (59-97). If it takes a whole team, Carlton should have had a much worse record than 27-10. Only in baseball could Andre Dawson win the MVP in 1987 while playing for the last place Cubs. In football, basketball and hockey, the whole team wins or loses on the back of its star player, unlike in real life, where one can excel while contributing as much as possible to a company that still falls flat on its face. It's almost inconceivable to imagine that the violations of which Rose is said to be guilty took place in a vacuum without anyone else knowing about them.
I'm not suggesting his teammates knew, by the way. But all those who are culpable, from boosters to administrators to coaching staff, know the rules and the penalties for breaking them. There's always tension between maintaining standards and compassion for unintended victims (or, in the case of the Lockerbie, Scotland terrorist, the intended convict). When a parent commits a serious crime, for example, the rest of the family suffers to some extent from their absence while they're imprisoned. But without justice, it would be a case of "everything goes." Indeed, justice is one of the surest marks of civilized society. That, as much as anything else, requires us to exact the penalty called for by the rules in cases such as this.
Does compassion have a role? Of course it does. In the case of Michael Vick, for example, he deserved his punishment. At the same time, I'm puzzled by those who seem to believe that cruelty to animals is the unforgivable sin. In the same way, once Memphis has been punished, that should be it, and they should be allowed to resume participation in competition for conference and bowl championships -- unless someone has the sense to establish a playoff system before then.
Report Abuse
Report Abuse
1 - 25 of 1164