NCAA Hoops 2011-2012

[katmai]

The way the sportswriters and analysts are slamming the  Pac-12, only way  4th place Zona makes the Dance is by winning the Tourney.

[derspiess]

And the stars align for Michigan once again; first B10 MBB championship in 26 years.

This is a great time to be a Wolverine!

Glad one of your WVU coaches worked out okay  

Speaking of WVU, I'm probably less excited this March than I have been for several years.  WVU got off to a good start (RPI of 11 and projected 3rd seed in January) but then got chewed up in its second half of Big East play.  Had to upset South Florida this past Saturday just to finish 9-9.  I think they're in the tourney at this point, but it would definitely help to win at least their first Big East tournament game.  With all the freshmen, I guess I can call it a rebuilding year.

I suppose I'll miss the Big East, but then again I think I've already moved on.  I found myself watching Big 12 basketball a lot more this season than Big East.

[jimmy olsen]

Doing shit like this is just self-destructive stupidity, no other way to put it.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/news?slug=ys-syracuse_basketball_investigation_drug_violation_030512

Sources: Syracuse basketball program repeatedly violated internal drug policy

By Charles Robinson and Pat Forde, Yahoo! Sports 7 hours, 53 minutes ago

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – During a decade in which Syracuse basketball reached the pinnacle of national prominence, the program was awash in positive drug tests and, in many cases, failed to adhere to its internal drug policy while playing ineligible players, Yahoo! Sports has learned.

Over the course of a three-month investigation, four sources with intimate knowledge of the Syracuse men's basketball program told Yahoo! Sports at least 10 players since 2001 have tested positive for a banned recreational substance or substances. The sources said all 10 of those players were allowed to practice and play at times when they should have been suspended by the athletic department, including instances when some players may not have known of their own ineligibility. The four sources said Syracuse violated its drug policy in at least two areas: failing to properly count positive tests; and playing ineligible players after they should have been subject to suspension.

A fifth source, a former Syracuse basketball player, told Yahoo! Sports he was questioned by the NCAA regarding the school's drug testing policy. Syracuse officials released a statement Monday evening about two hours after Y! Sports' report was published, saying the university has self-reported potential violations to the NCAA and the inquiry doesn't involve current players. However, four sources said the breadth of potential violations could apply to Syracuse seasons as far back as 2001 and include the 2002-03 national championship season.

"We self-reported issues with drug testing to the NCAA, and there is currently an ongoing inquiry," Syracuse said in the statement. "The inquiry does not involve any current SU student-athletes. To ensure the integrity of the ongoing process, we are unable to comment further at this time."

The NCAA also released a statement Monday night confirming Syracuse "appropriately" self-reported the violations "several months ago." The NCAA said its investigation is ongoing.

Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim, who has guided the current Syracuse team to a 30-1 record and No. 2 national record, had earlier declined to comment when contacted by Y! Sports.

"I don't know anything about it," Boeheim said. "I would not comment on anything like that. Good luck with your story."

Asked if he had any knowledge of an NCAA investigation, Boeheim again declined comment.

"Obviously, I'm not going to talk about anything at all," he said.

If Syracuse knowingly violated its own drug policies, it could trigger the NCAA's "Willful Violators" clause, which allows the association to bypass its four-year statute of limitations in favor of levying sanctions as far back as the first in a series of continued infractions. A willful violation is considered one that occurs during a pattern of deliberate or intentional rule-breaking.

Beyond statute-of-limitations issues, Syracuse could also be charged with lack of institutional control for failing to adhere to its own drug policy, similar to sanctions recently levied against Baylor University. A wide-ranging NCAA inquiry into the Bears' basketball program in 2005 revealed the athletic department failed to follow its established guidelines by concealing positive marijuana tests for three players. A report released by the NCAA's Committee on Infractions after the Baylor investigation stated: "The failure of the university to follow its own [drug testing] procedures demonstrated a lack of institutional control."

Yahoo! Sports reviewed Syracuse's student-athlete drug policies dating to the 2000-01 school year. They detailed the athletic department's protocol for handling positive tests, including a penalty structure for a player's first, second and third offense.

Each penalty called for the head coach to be notified and, in turn, alert a player's parents or guardians. After the first offense, an athlete was required to attend drug counseling and rehabilitation sessions. In addition, the policy called for the offending athlete to be tested on a regular basis for the remainder of his or her eligibility.

Penalties for a second positive test included automatic suspension from practice and playing, plus mandatory drug counseling, and a player could not return to the team without being cleared by a counselor as being drug free. For a third positive test, a player was subject to termination of eligibility and expulsion from school, barring special intervention by the athletic director.

The policy stated that after a third failed test, the athletic director had the option of extending a "one-time conditional grace period" in which the athlete was subject to specific terms and conditions for corrective action during a predetermined period of time.

Two sources told Yahoo! Sports that of the 10 players, at least one player continued to play after failing four tests and another player played after failing three.

NCAA member schools are not required to have their own drug-testing policy, though most choose to do so because of potential legal and disciplinary ramifications. The NCAA itself tests at championship events, and will be conducting random testing in the NCAA basketball tournament that begins next week, but otherwise schools are left to police themselves for drugs on their own terms.

However, the NCAA alerts member schools that when setting internal testing procedures, the ability of the school to follow its own guidelines is subject to NCAA oversight and sanctioning. This is the regulation which puts Syracuse at risk for potentially failing to follow its own policies.

There is no uniform national drug policy, nor do most conferences have a set testing protocol or penalty structure for their member schools. In fact, Big East associate commissioner for compliance Joseph D'Antonio told Yahoo! Sports last week that he doesn't even know what the drug policies are from school to school within the league. Syracuse is a member of the Big East.

Should Syracuse come under NCAA scrutiny for drug-testing failures, it would be the latest in a sometimes tumultuous decade for Boeheim's program. Multiple players have had legal or disciplinary issues over that span, including Billy Edelin, Eric Devendorf, Jonny Flynn, Rick Jackson, Josh Wright, Dayshawn Wright, Scoop Jardine and Fab Melo. A previous Yahoo! Sports report also found that a sports agency secured a $50,000 loan for the uncle of then-guard Donté Greene, in hopes of signing Greene once he departed for the NBA.

Most recently, Syracuse assistant coach Bernie Fine was accused of sexual molestation by a former Orange ball boy and his brother. While charges were not filed against Fine, he was ultimately fired from his coaching position.

Contact Yahoo! Sports investigative reporter Charles Robinson at [email protected]. Contact Yahoo! Sports national college columnist Pat Forde at [email protected].

[derspiess]

Bleh.  WVU blows a 7-point lead late in the game with stupid turnovers and an inability to hit a shot, and loses its last Big East game in OT against UCONN, which is now technically 40% of the way to repeating last year's unlikely 5-game Big East tournament run that won the championship. 

[Admiral Yi]

GU advances past Pitt to meet Cincy and will play for a chance to meet Cuse.

[Berkut]

Katmai. OSU. Seriously?

[katmai]

Katmai. OSU. Seriously?

It is end to perfect shitty season.

the most amazing nonsense is all the talk in Seattle is Ross and Wroten leaving as both are being told by their hangers on they will be 1st rd picks. Not looking to hot for UW next season, nor do i expect them to be in dance even with winning the regular season title.

[MadBurgerMaker]

[jimmy olsen]

Auburn's boned

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/08/report-auburn-guard-investigated-for-point-shaving/

[sbr]

Auburn's boned

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/03/08/report-auburn-guard-investigated-for-point-shaving/

  Yep, they will get in at least as much trouble as they did for paying to get Cam Newton on campus.

[Berkut]

Katmai. OSU. Seriously?

It is end to perfect shitty season.

the most amazing nonsense is all the talk in Seattle is Ross and Wroten leaving as both are being told by their hangers on they will be 1st rd picks. Not looking to hot for UW next season, nor do i expect them to be in dance even with winning the regular season title.

Yeah, and that is why I don't really like the Pac-12 tourney, even though it is Arizona looking to capitalize on it now.

Arizona (or OSU or whoever) wins the tourney and gets the bid, and Washington stays home even though Washington won the regular season title and is the Pac-12 champion?

That isn't right. The conference championship is more important than the tourney championship - MUCH more important, in fact.

Important enough that I certainly would not say Washington had a shitty year. They won the conference. Short of a deep run into the NCAA tournament, which I am sure *someday* Washington will experience, it is the biggest prize.

[Valmy]

I actually enjoyed watching a Texas Basketball game last night.  This year's team has been so frustrating I was actually sort of looking forward to the season ending so I would not be tempted to keep tuning in and watching them suck...but suddenly they have 20 wins and are almost a lock to make the tournament.  I guess I should be happy that Big 12 had a down year (A&M and Tech?  LOL) so Rick Barnes' worst team actually ended up having a decent year.

[sbr]

I agree berkut but it is a bit of a fluke based on how bad the pac-12 is this year.  If uw misses the tourney it will be the first time a "major conference" reg season champ will ever have missed out.

[derspiess]

I actually enjoyed watching a Texas Basketball game last night.  This year's team has been so frustrating I was actually sort of looking forward to the season ending so I would not be tempted to keep tuning in and watching them suck...but suddenly they have 20 wins and are almost a lock to make the tournament.  I guess I should be happy that Big 12 had a down year (A&M and Tech?  LOL) so Rick Barnes' worst team actually ended up having a decent year.

I'd say they definitely played their way in yesterday.  Would be nice to see them knock off Mizzou tonight and get another shot at Baylor this year.

Speaking of Baylor, WTF is the deal with the green highlighter uniforms?   

[Valmy]

I'd say they definitely played their way in yesterday.  Would be nice to see them knock off Mizzou tonight and get another shot at Baylor this year.

Speaking of Baylor, WTF is the deal with the green highlighter uniforms?   

THey were horrible weren't they?  If basketball was played outside they would have been visible from outer space.  People were discussing those horrible unis almost more than the actual tournament this morning.  I mean their colors are green yes but not bright-lime green.

I think their chances are at about 90% in getting it at this point.  A win against Missouri will solidify it.  Heck it is almost an annual tradition to make it to the Big 12 Tournament title game and lose to Kansas (four times in the last six years) and it would be nice to make that five out of seven.