More College Basketball Scandals/ This time Arkansas

[tornado]

Remember when Dana Altman spent about 5 minutes on the University of Arkansas campus
then bolted back to Omaha and begged to have his old job back?
Recall there was talk that what he found at Arkansas in the way of academics scared the daylights out of him?
And then piece that together with the sudden departure of their top player,
Patrick Beverley, last fall with little explanation given?

Well....there's evidence that the academic troubles were true...
Patrick Beverley now steps forward and says someone else was taking his tests for him...and that it was happening for other players as well...

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Sports/261014/

http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2009/jun/01/beverley-cheating-not-limited-him/

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=3526421

But here's what's interesting....some writers apparently knew there was more to this last fall, and that cheating
must have occurred given the situation that only Beverley was penalized and he was suspended for an entire season,
forcing him to look to play in Europe. Here is an article from last fall that mentions it.

http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/sports_blog_post.asp?pid=3725

[tornado]

One other thought....

This quote says the university investigated this whole situation thoroughly, and suspended Beverley for not doing his own work...
"The university conducted a full and thorough review of the matter
and took swift action based on all aspects of its findings"


Then the University claims they followed all the rules of compliance...
“The University of Arkansas remains committed to compliance with all
university, Southeastern Conference and NCAA rules and regulations.”

But then this...
"Freedom of Information requests filed by The Morning News since August
have not revealed any inquiries by the NCAA into Beverley’s departure or any
other instances of academic fraud within the basketball program."


which means the violations appear to have not been reported to the NCAA by Arkansas.
Possiblty they just hid all this stuff, and that they didn't want the situation known?

Isn't this one of the more serious NCAA violations? The failure to report serious academic fraud and cheating?

[tornado]

while we're on the topic of scandal...

Andy katz is reporting that the NCAA has already nullified Derrick Rose's SAT score, thus he is an ineligible player, and that part of the story is no longer in doubt.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4222106

The real question is why would the NCAA let the kid play the whole season before coming to such a judgement and what triggered all this in the first place?


and if you want even more laughs....one of the guys who bolted from Memphis and is now going to Kansas, is reportedly unhappy and now wants to go to Kentucky & follow Calipari...Xavier Henry

http://www.zagsblog.com/2009/06/01/latest-on-xavier-lance-cal/#more-17251

[tornado]

as if Arkansas needed more bad news...one of their players gets a DUI and is driving on a suspended license & an outstanding warrant, running a stop sign, no insurance... as well........

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/basketball/ncaa/06/01/arkansas.ap/index.html?eref=si_ncaab

[tornado]

does anyone else notice that the same people, the very writers who are ripping the NBA
for their one-year-in-college rule, and claiming it is a terrible rule and should have never been
implemented......are also the some of the same ones who ripped the NBA back when it was allowable
for high schoolers to go directly to the NBA and saying it was a terrible rule and should be changed?

[tornado]

Patrick Beverley now steps forward and says someone else was taking his tests for him.....

here's a little followup on Patrick Beverley...

He left Arkansas last year and played this past season in the Ukraine..

The season is over and they just handed out their awards..
Patrick Beverley is 1st Team UBL All-Ukrainian

http://www.eurobasket.com/Ukraine/basketball.asp?NewsID=162070#

But.... some proof that the Euros are a bit bigoted and do not like giving out their awards to the foreign players,
Beverley was ROBBED of the Player of the Year Award!
Beverley's stats certainly would put him in the running for the POY...
Beverley averaged 35.8 mpg, 16.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 3.6 apg, 2.2 spg.

But the POY went to Milos Pavlovic who averaged...
21.4 mpg, 11.7 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.1 apg, 0.7 spg.

and Beverley was also robbed of the Guard of the Year Award which went to
Tomas Delininkaitis 27.2 mpg, 17.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.4 spg