Duke’s Smith given 2-game suspension

This is ridiculous. The guy's got friends at the professional level, friends whom took him under their wing when his father died. It's a simple mistake. It's not like he profited from it.

But rules are rules. Thus the suspension. He should have known better. This doesn't make Duke some kind of degenerate program.

UNC and Maryland run clean programs? What about Raymond Felton in 2004 or James Gist AND Landon Milbourne in 2007? Those don't count because they don't play for Duke? Somehow that's okay but what Nolan Smith did is beyond comprehension? Some people need help.

HELLO everyone " HOW ABOUT THOSE COWBOYS " watch us roll over those eagles 10 point

Actually found out the FACTS...one would think a sportswriter might have done the same.

He WAS NOT suspended because he played with foreign players or professionals. That is actually allowed under the NCAA manual IN THE SUMMER. What he did was play in a game where they kept score and time! Apparently anytime you play in a game that keeps score and time, it must be sanctioned by the NCAA.

Coach K (who clearly stated he doesn't like that rule at all) found out Smith had played in such a game near his home. It was Coack K (via Duke Athletic Office) who immediately called the NCAA and disclosed this event. The disclosure was apparently made within a day or so of it happening...as soon as he found out. And he (and Smith) accepts the penalty without argument of any kind.

Coach K quote..."Actually it’s something that I’m not a big proponent of. I think kids should be able to play wherever they want to play. He wasn’t protesting for me. This is what every college basketball player has to know. Don’t play in a game that keeps time and score unless it’s a sanctioned game. So you never go out on the court and play in a game that has time and score. Call us up, it has to be approved by the athletic director and it wasn’t. "

Pretty classy - but I'm sure Duke haters will have a different take on it.

why do I read these inane comments?

I believe the intent of the rule about not allowing NBA players to play with college athletes: this might give some university's an edge when alumni show up to the play grounds to play. NCAA players would definitely get better playing against NBA players, day in and day out. But, personally, I don't agree with the rule either.

Looked it up..."Under a strange NCAA rule, Division I teams such as North Carolina can only scrimmage against other DivisionI teams if it is done in secret – doors locked, no media, no fans, no official scoring. Even when it's conducted in a public building." So it seems UNC didn't break any rules with Vanderbilt. But if their players played against some foreigners or maybe even a -gasp- professional or two, they probably would have to forfeit the entire season. Dontcha just love the NCAA!

Look no further than the NCAA if you want to have someone to write stupid nonsense rules for your organization, just to piss people off.

When you have a program that won the title of one of the best conferences, went to sweet 16 as a No.2 seed, only to lose to a No.3 seed and an eventual Final Four participant, and someone still call you "nothing to show for of late" (comment No. 12), then I say you must still have a very healthy program indeed.

To No. 12, who claims "NC rules the ACC"...
Hey, you might have got the national championship, but...failing to win the last ACC championship (in fact, not even appearing in the championship game), for ANY REASON, is not "ruling the ACC".

chriss,

You need to worry about your team losing secret scrimmages to Vanderbilt at the moment.

Oh Chriss #12... you WISH! Not sure what you are calling "recently" but in this decade...
Wins: 35,31,26,31,27,32,22,28,30; 10 NCAA tournament appearances...1 National Championship...1 additional Final Four Appearance....7 ACC Tournament Titles...3 Regular Season Titles...a 14-9 record against UNC. You're right, Duke should get rid of him. Especially since he spends WAY to much time with things like the Olympics.

Now in the interest of fair play (and also assuming Chriss' fingers will be feverishly typing as soon as he reads this) since 2005, Duke does only have a 3-10 head up record against UNC. But using Chriss' logic, that doesn't say ANYTHING good about UNC. Because clearly Duke (and Coach K) sucks.

Coach K seriously needs to call it a "day". 5 star after 5 star and what does Dookie V University have to show for it of late? Not much! NC rules the ACC now with Dookie V a distant 2nd, 3rd and sometimes 4th. Get a real coach in there who can coach these highly recruited kids! Coach K is done!

1st off, let me clear (even as a Dookie)....if this is a rule (and apparently it is) and it was broken, then "punishment" must be doled out no matter what the program (even -gasp- Duke). Not arguing that at all.

What I honestly can't figure out is the rule itself. One would think that most rules are in place to prevent some perceived evil. You might not like the rule or even think it prevents the problem. But at least in most rules, you can at least see the problem being addressed. I just can't figure this one out.

Now I could see preventing a high school player from playing a "pickup" game with a bunch of players from some university. The player can choose his school, and that COULD be considered an unfair recruting move.

But a college player (of course not being paid is quite important) playing with someone from another country or a professional player? What evil is that supposed to stop? The NBA has a draft, so that the professional player is from a particular NBA team would have no bearing on where the college kid would go in the NBA (even if he were good enough to get there). I honestly can't figure out the evil that the rule is trying to prevent.

Does anyone HONESTLY know the logic behind the rule. As stupid as some of the rules are, you can at least see the logic. I just can't figure this one out. Can anyone help this old fart out? Anyone have a clue?

"LOL... GO BIG BLUE.... First magette then Kelly now Smith, What is going on in Durham.LMFAO!!"

Judging by UK's past NCAA violations and more than likely future ones with Cal at the helm, nothing is going on compared to what has went on at UK.

"isnt there another player on duke who was walls teamate on his aau team sholdnt he be suspended also? The 800 dollars was travel expenses u know food hotel room for college visits. Hey I will bash both no class and puke go Ky the real big blue. Cats in 10."

Wall and Kelly may have had the same AAU coach but the reason Wall was investigated was because that coach paid for some of Wall's travel expenses while Kelly's family paid for his. Don't see why UK fans don't understand that.

"fluke dook....Terps/heels run clean programs"

Must have forgot Raymond Felton got suspended 1 game for the same sort of thing.

fluke dook....Terps/heels run clean programs

isnt there another player on duke who was walls teamate on his aau team sholdnt he be suspended also? The 800 dollars was travel expenses u know food hotel room for college visits. Hey I will bash both no class and puke go Ky the real big blue. Cats in 10.

They're just kids. let 'em play. who cares when or who they played with. It's a free country!

LOL... GO BIG BLUE.... First magette then Kelly now Smith, What is going on in Durham.LMFAO!!

its bull...wall accepts over 800 dollars in money and gets the same punishment even though its supposed to be more thentwo games with one not being an exhibition!!! im shocked nobody wants to write about that. by ncaa ruling its ten percent of your games which means 3

Not that I have aproblem bashing Duke, ( GO Heels ) but this is just another example of stupid NCAA rules tryin to govern everyday life of every player in college. So your telling us that if I play in a pick up game and LeBron shows up and wants to play; I cant or I'll face a suspention? So does the NCAA hand out suspentions to its governing body if during a meeting an NBA offical shows up? Oh I guess all there meetings are sanctioned ! ! ! NCAA: Shut-Up and Just Let em PLAY BALL !!!!!!

Not that I have aproblem bashing Duke, ( GO Heels ) but this is just another example of stupid NCAA rules tryin to govern everyday life of every player in college. So your telling us that if I play in a pick up game and LeBron shows up and wants to play; I cant or I'll face a suspention? So does the NCAA hand out suspentions to its governing body if during a meeting an NBA offical shows up? Oh I guess all there meetings are sanctioned ! ! ! NCAA: Shut-Up and Just Let em PLAY BALL !!!!!!