Did UCLA Get Cheated Out Of A Shot At #12? NCAA Accuses Calipari's Memphis Of Cheating

by Nestor on May 28, 2009 4:39 AM PDT Comment 21 comments

So did Coach Howland's Ben Ball warriors get cheated out of a shot at banner number 12?

From CBSSportsline.com:

The NCAA has formally accused the Memphis men's basketball program of major violations during the 2007-08 Final Four season under John Calipari.

In a letter -- which was first obtained by the Commercial Appeal and is dated Jan. 16, 2009 -- the NCAA alleges "knowing fraudulence or misconduct" on an SAT exam by a player on the 2008 Final Four team. The player is not named in the report. But the letter states that the student-athlete "competed for the men's basketball team through the 2007-08 season, which included his participation in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship."

The implication is that the player only competed in the 2008 NCAA tournament.

The lone Memphis player who only competed in that NCAA tournament -- as opposed to multiple NCAA tournaments -- is Derrick Rose, a one-and-done prospect who was the top pick in the 2008 NBA Draft and subsequent NBA Rookie of the Year for the Chicago Bulls. If the allegation is proven true, Memphis could be forced to forfeit its Final Four appearance, meaning both of Calipari's Final Fours -- 1996 at UMass and 2008 at Memphis -- would then be removed from the offical NCAA record book.

Memphis is also accused of providing $2,260 in free travel for an associate of a player.

No wonder every time our Ben Ball warriors took on the Memphis Tigers recent years there was something about their "student" athletes that seemed to be a little off (j/k). All on a sudden those Memphis wins (one in the Final-4 and one at the MSG) look just as legit as U$C*'s "Pac-10 tournament basketball championship."
Per the report, Calipari is "not named or directly implicated in the report." lol

Just think there were reports few weeks ago that Timmeh was looking to escape from U$C* to ... you guessed it ... Memphis.

Anyways, have fun Kentucky fans.

Oh and thank God for Ben Howland.

GO BRUINS.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.

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Wait really??

Suspected misconduct by a university involving a high-profile recruit??
Big DEAL. It’s happening everywhere. I mean, how are you supposed to get a good player to come to your university unless you bend some rules right?…….right?
Who cares about the honest programs that take care to play by the rules. BCS and Final Four appearances mean $$, so its ok to disregard the rules to get what you want.

SATs aren’t a big deal. UCLA signs lots of recruits that don’t technically have high enough SAT scores to qualify as a UCLA student athlete. The “student” part of “student athlete” comes first only because it makes it sound better.

Don’t you agree??

Actually No, we don’t agree.

GO BRUINS

by bruinbasketball on May 27, 2009 7:36 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

I got a kick out of that. Reading it on my iPhone

I didn’t get to the last part until, well, the end. I thought you were out of your mind!! That’s too funny.

B.F.

by eubruin on May 28, 2009 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Carroll and Calipari say

if you are not cheating, you are not trying.

by Karl II on May 27, 2009 8:03 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

OK, I kid you not.

The first time I ever heard the phrase:

if you are not cheating, you are not trying.

I heard it out of the mouth of a Trojan.

I kid you not.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on May 28, 2009 1:30 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

I heard it from John Madden, but I’m a Raider fan

by r8er.4.life on May 28, 2009 3:21 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

College athletics...

…are a sham. It now makes sense that Calipari bailed on Memphis. Pete Carroll will eventually do the same thing if the NCAA ever comes down on U$C (um, sure).

Go Bruins.

by hicalliber on May 27, 2009 8:25 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Interesting

It would be nice to look at the quanitty and quality of the evidence that caused the no cojones at all to move against Memphis, and compare that evidence to what Yahoo Sports has already disclosed against bu$h and Payo.

My recollection of the evidence against just$c* that has been shown on the ’net is that it was damning, and that nothing else was really needed. That must I guess the Memphis athlete confessed, the guy who doctored the SAT confessed, the SAT organization itself confessed, and Memphis State has asked for Dr. Kevorkian to come in and take care of business for everyone in the athletic department. There can be no other explanation for the ncaa to have acted as to Memphis but kept their heads in the sand re just$c*.

by Fox 71 on May 27, 2009 8:58 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Quiz question. Name the only two participating teams to not lose an NCAA tournament game in 2008.

The answer will be KU and UCLA after the NCAA strips Memphis of their 38 wins. Who would we have played in the semifinal had Memphis not been there? Would we have beaten Kansas? Rhetorical of course.

by 84 on May 27, 2009 9:27 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Texas

In San Antonio. After they had already beaten us once that season in Pauley.

by turs12 on May 27, 2009 9:53 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually,

every opponent Memphis defeated on the way to the Final Four technically will have never lost.

by gobias83 on May 29, 2009 9:29 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Who wants to put down odds?

That Memphis’ wins will be wiped off the record books before USC’s ever will. If they ever will.

A coach is someone who can give correction without causing resentment. John Wooden

by MexiBruin on May 28, 2009 1:31 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

re: Who wants to put down odds?

Of course it will! U$S makes tons and tons and tons of money for the NCAA. Memphis is an absolute nothing, now that “coach” Cal is gone. There won’t be a single meaningful sanction against U$C until the program no longer generates a lot of money. Pathetic, but that’s they way it works.

by longbordr52 on May 28, 2009 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

The most interesting aspect of this will be the reaction of the fishwrap.

Will they find this newsworthy? Will they report it at all? How many column-inches? According to what Plashke and Simers said, there aren’t enough ’wrap reporters available to write anything because of the Lakers.

by Fox 71 on May 28, 2009 3:34 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Does this news surprise anyone?

Calipari is as dirty as they come. UK just made a deal with the devil.

by AllHailMightyBruins on May 28, 2009 8:08 AM PDT reply actions 0 recs

Agree

Him and that Thug Wes are joined at the hip. Calipari built his teams from getting kids from those allegedly reputable prep schools. The one or ones that Mr. “I’m older than your daddy” Taj Gibson also attended. To Kentucky, this is nothing. No package to a player (Chris Mills) full of paper this time around. Happened somewhere else. And plus, they’d do anything to win again, especially with all the recruits he is brining.

by BlueReign on May 28, 2009 8:33 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Isn't there a precedent at Indiana?

I can’t recall the details (and don’t care enough to look them up), but wasn’t there some coach who was convicted of first degree murder of the ncaa rules, but nonetheless got hired by Indiana? And wasn’t there something about Indiana being put on a short leash because of the coach they hired. And didn’t the coach immediately do the same stuff he had done before and got summarily canned?

Can this apply also to “Cash and Carry” Calipari? (Hmm – can a remedy that I’m not sure was imposed on a coach who I can’t name be applied to a different coach for a different violation. I guess this isn’t one of my better analytical days.)

by Fox 71 on May 28, 2009 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

UMass

Didn’t Calipari do something shady before he bolted UMass for the NBA?

I’m most disappointed in the NCAA still doing NOTHING with Still Cheatin’.

by UCLA4Life on May 28, 2009 9:48 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yes

IIRC, hiis only other Final-4 appearance at UMass was vacated due to violations which included stories of agents suppling his star player – Marcus Camby – with money, jewelry, rental cars and prostitutes, which he willingly accepted and in some cases requested.

by Nestor on May 28, 2009 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Are you sure you're talking about UMass?

Sounds like that JC over on Figueroa.

by Fox 71 on May 28, 2009 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

My wife attend UMass

They weren’t happy with the way he left and the whole Marcus Camby thing went down shortly after.

Bob O. (Signholder #3)

by TuneMan7 on May 29, 2009 1:04 PM PDT up reply actions 0 recs

Look at the Kentucky Blog

There are the usual people who are in total denial because Calipari is now at their school. But there were a few interesting comments. One guy, who I’m sure was a Kentucky fan said (paraphrasing) that it was nice to get a high profile coach and high profile players, but he didn’t think he wanted to sell his soul to do so.

Funny thing. I’ve been a denizen here for a few years, and I’ve seen the trOJies come through here, and I’ve peeked in from time to time over there. Never once has any trOJie, including the reasonably sane ones, ever made a statement like that. I guess that’s what separates trOJies from just about everyone else. They appear to be soulless. Again, I really feel sorry for them. What a horrible way to live. You can never really take pride in anything because of the taint, but you trade your soul so you can live in the filth. I pity those poor people.

by Fox 71 on May 28, 2009 3:39 PM PDT reply actions 0 recs