Scandal brewing at Iowa State?

[tornado]

Along the tline of the USC/Reggie Bush scandal, there are allegations that one of the Iowa State recruits received considerable impermissable benefits from a booster.

Presently, lots of denials, but the school is doing its own investigation, and the NCAA is yet to get involved.

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060502/SPORTS02060101/605020401/1003/SPORTS

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060503/SPORTS02060101/605030380/1003/SPORTS

[PTTB]

I think your statement is misleading. I wouldn't call this along the lines of Reggie Bush scandal or whatnot. From what has been said thus far, nothing beyond occasional meals with a family has taken place. I'm not saying that no one is at fault, but from other reports, this family is Iowa Hawkeye fans, and thus they would have no desire to influence Jiri going to ISU. I'm not saying that there isn't a cloud over the ISU program, b/c that's not the case with the way that the previous coach left the program, but I think the wording of your statement that there were "considerable impermissable benefits by a booster". There has been no previous impressions that this family was a booster of ISU (and since there has yet to be proven evidence that he received such meals while at ISU). It's a little premature to be called a booster of ISU and "considerable impermissable benefits".

This investigation may turn up more, but as of right now, I think that your statement is pretty harsh and misleading.

[MacabreMob]

All you have to do is read the 3rd paragraph of the second link that says:
"Whatever was done was done out of the innocence of helping a young man that someone liked and provided a meal or two to on special occasions. There was nothing illegal."

Sorry charlie - that IS illegal. I was under the impression you can NOT even give a kid a ride a couple blocks to his dorm. A meal may seem harmless, but it IS illegal.

[tornado]

I never said that I believed there are improper acts.

But even as a casual fan (and booster) at Bradley, I certainly know better than to give money, gifts, and free meals and things to a player at Bradley. So why didn't think guy know better???
It is one of the most fundamental things in college sports these days, for crying out loud!!!

I said there are allegations of improper acts, and you know full well that there are. Why else would Iowa State themselves launch an investigation?
Also, the fact that it involves the athlete getting extra benefits from a family he knew, make it quite similar to the Reggie Bush case, as that's exactly what was involved there also.

When a well intending booster at Ohio State helped out a foreign student who was recruited to play basketball there, it ended with major violations being proven and the coach being fired.
Iowa State's prior coach was already involved in a dubious scheme to funnel cash to AAU coaches in exchange help scheduling games and possibly other things.
Generally where there's smoke, there's fire.

As for the relationship with the family, the very fact that they supported the kid as he went to Iowa State suggests they are boosters even though the family has not been identified.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/ncaa/05/01/bc.bkc.iowastate.invest.ap/

[PTTB]

Okay, first off, I apologize, b/c I didn't see where they thought that the meals were during the 05-06 season. I thought they were from previous years while at the Juco. I misread what was stated.

I still don't think that you can compare this to Reggie Bush's situation. Reggie didn't have a relationship with the guy whose house his family was staying in before they began to "rent". The purpose of the relationship from the guy's standpont was to get a client after college. In Jiri's situation, he knew the family from Juco, and didn't get a house, but rather the occasional meal (just like in Juco). The family wasn't ISU fans (from what I have read...and if this is not true, then I will have to take this back as well) and wouldn't persuade Jiri to being a Clone, b/c most Clone fans don't like Hawks (and vice versa). The family had nothing to gain.

And the previous coach had some shady doings so I'm not totally surprised if there is something more to this story, but from all indications, I would doubt it. But, I have been known to be wrong on occassion!

[wingrider81]

Ok

Okay, the previous Iowa State Athletic Director was my
childhood friend. Bruce fired Larry Estuchy. This seems
like cutting hairs to me.
Wingrider

[Da Coach]

A little more about this simmering scandal is coming out--

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/basketball/ncaa/05/04/bc.bkc.hubalekinvestiga.ap/index.html

Now I'll add my 2 cents- This whole thing really smells bad. I applaud Greg McDermott for bringing this out into the open, though he obviously was not involved and no one will blame him.
But it already sounds like McDermott is into the "damage control" mode, by immediately throwing around terms like "whatever happened was innocent" and "No one meant to do anything wrong deliberately."

Please Greg, don't insult our intelligence. We all know that violations are violations, regardless if anyone can be proved to be committing them deliberately. And if anyone believes this whole thing is totally "innocent" (Greg McDermott's word), I have some swampland I'll sell you. This former Iowa State booster wants to buy a member of Iowa State's basketball team a new car and the Athletic Director says it's OK? Give me a break! Every other AD with an IQ above single digits would tell this guy to stay as far away from his student-athletes as he can.
This whole thing does nothing to dispel the commonly held belief by us midmajor supporters that schools like Iowa State, and Kansas are corrupt to the core and cheat like crazy and then when they get caught, they act like they are investigating themselves, and expect the NCAA to look the other way.

Here is another article from the Des Moines paper with a few more details--

http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060504/SPORTS02060101/605040399/1015/SPORTS04

[MacabreMob]

This whole thing does nothing to dispel the commonly held belief by us midmajor supporters that schools like Iowa State, and Kansas are corrupt to the core and cheat like crazy and then when they get caught, they act like they are investigating themselves, and expect the NCAA to look the other way.

I believe this to be true.

And the list is not just the schools you mentioned.

We don't need to look to states close to us. I believe it happens right here in our own back yard... ahemm... C/U... ahemmm...

You know what - I really don't care too much. Let's ALL recognize that ALL schools try to do things to lure players illegally. PERIOD!

Thing is, BCS programs want everyone to think they don't do anything illegally.