Larry Brown and SMU Post Season Ban

[IrwinFletcher]

I will have faith in the NCAA if and only if they come down harshly on UNC. If they don't, then it is clear that the organization is a complete farce, though many believe it already is.

Why do schools keep hiring guys like Brown? Why do parents keep sending their kids to play for guys like Brown? I just don't get it.

[Nukem2]

I will have faith in the NCAA if and only if they come down harshly on UNC. If they don't, then it is clear that the organization is a complete farce, though many believe it already is.

Why do schools keep hiring guys like Brown? Why do parents keep sending their kids to play for guys like Brown? I just don't get it.

It's $$$$ on both sides. Schools to build their BB programs to help visibility with donors and TE parents and their kids want to have the best chance at the NBA $$$$$.

[TheSultan]

It's $$$$ on both sides. Schools to build their BB programs to help visibility with donors and TE parents and their kids want to have the best chance at the NBA $$$$$.

Furthermore, the kids aren't punished at all. Chris Webber got Michigan in all sorts of trouble, but he still got his NBA millions and a post-retirement gig working television. There was really no objective downside for him taking money from a booster. Really if you are a one and done player who doesn't give a rip about the NCAA's rules, why not sell yourself out to the highest bidder?

[Markedman]

Furthermore, the kids aren't punished at all. Chris Webber got Michigan in all sorts of trouble, but he still got his NBA millions and a post-retirement gig working television. There was really no objective downside for him taking money from a booster. Really if you are a one and done player who doesn't give a rip about the NCAA's rules, why not sell yourself out to the highest bidder?

Because you don't want to disgrace the school, forfeit games and any NCAA success and destroy lasting memories for your college teammates?

Just think if it came out that Okafor took impermisable benefits. How bad would he feel to have deprived the other guys on that team a national championship?

Can't speak for him but it would eat me up.

[TheSultan]

Because you don't want to disgrace the school, forfeit games and any NCAA success and destroy lasting memories for your college teammates?

Well the point is that I don't think many of these players care enough about the school to worry about disgracing it.

[MKE_GoldenEagleFan]

Well the point is that I don't think many of these players care enough about the school to worry about disgracing it.

To be honest, I would blame the school more for the disgrace and ruining your teammates memories because they shouldn't have offered the cash in the first place... At the same point, the NCAA can take down banners and take the trophies, but it can't erase the memories or the experience those guys went through.

Even for the fans, I'd love the journey of MU winning a national title, even if it was revoked a year or 10 years later I would still have gotten to enjoy it in the moment... Now of course I'd prefer them to win it in a legit way, but I think these days that's pretty difficult to do.

[Gato78]

The universities need to make sure they are ethical institutions that are giving their own students the right example about how to be ethical doctors, lawyers, teachers, business people, nurses, engineers etc. That should be the focus. How is Larry Brown and his staff enhancing or detracting from the reputation of his own religious employer? SMU, with its history of infractions, should fire the entire staff. If the rules are strictly enforced, the non-cheaters have a level playing field. Even Dick Vitale spoke out against Larry Brown today.

[TheSultan]

The universities need to make sure they are ethical institutions that are giving their own students the right example about how to be ethical doctors, lawyers, teachers, business people, nurses, engineers etc. That should be the focus. How is Larry Brown and his staff enhancing or detracting from the reputation of his own religious employer? SMU, with its history of infractions, should fire the entire staff. If the rules are strictly enforced, the non-cheaters have a level playing field. Even Dick Vitale spoke out against Larry Brown today.

This is what I just can't wrap my head around. This is a school whose basketball coach attempted to cover up academic fraud, and he has the President's "full support?" Seriously how can an institution of higher education, especially one of the caliber of SMU, have an employee that engages in this type of behavior and publicly have the full support of its leader?

Just bizarre.

[Goose85]

I will have faith in the NCAA if and only if they come down harshly on UNC. If they don't, then it is clear that the organization is a complete farce, though many believe it already is.

Why do schools keep hiring guys like Brown? Why do parents keep sending their kids to play for guys like Brown? I just don't get it.

The NCAA tells everyone that nobody would talk in the Duke / Lance Thomas $100K of jewelry case so they couldn't do anything about it.
The NCAA tells Miami (football) that because people were not cooperating they would assume guilt.
USC football gets the book thrown at them as USC coaches should have known that Reggie Bush's mom had her apartment paid for (not in the same city), yet USC hoops gets a far lesser penalty despite what many thought were worse transgressions.

The NCAA doesn't make any money on football, but they make a ton on basketball and Duke is the meal ticket so no way are they going to mess with Coach K. Larry Brown and SMU, that's ok, hit him a bit and it makes them look like they are doing something.

One player at SMU gets them a one year post season ban and the coach a 9 game suspension. How many players were involved in academic issues at UNC? What will UNC and Roy get?

[CaribouJim]

One player at SMU gets them a one year post season ban and the coach a 9 game suspension. How many players were involved in academic issues at UNC? What will UNC and Roy get?

Yes, the UNC stuff was much, much more wide spread on multiple levels. Will be interesting to see what happens there.

BTW, Larry looked and sounded every bit his 75 years old in the press conference.