Arizona given further punishment for Olson recruiting violations

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/s...r_espn_5420753

NCAA adds to self-imposed sanctions


PHOENIX -- The NCAA added to self-imposed sanctions by Arizona's men's basketball program on Thursday, vacating 19 wins from the 2007-08 season and removing an additional scholarship for violations involving Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson.

The university announced its sanctions in February, including the loss of a scholarship for 2011-12 and numerous cutbacks in recruiting visits over the next two seasons.

The NCAA upheld most of those self-imposed sanctions but determined the school had used two ineligible players in 2007-08 and would have to vacate all wins involving those players and eliminate their statistics. It also took away a scholarship for 2012-13 and pushed back a two-year probation period for the program to Thursday instead of starting it in February, as the university had decided earlier.

"You take very seriously the sanctions the ins ution self-imposes, then you weigh that against the gravity of the case and you make a decision whether additional penalties should be imposed," said former Miami AD Paul Dee, chair of the NCAA's infractions committee. "We were pleased that they self-imposed what they did, but we went further."

Arizona's self-imposed sanctions included a reduction in the number of recruiting visits by coaches and prospective players, the disbanding of a booster group and implementation of a series of administrative and rules changes to prevent further violations.

The NCAA reduced the number of official visits by recruits to six each over the next two years -- Arizona had imposed 11 in 2009-10, eight for 2010-11 -- and cut an additional 10 days of recruiting days for coaches for 2010-11, giving the school a total reduction of 30.

The university said it will not appeal the ruling.

"We're satisfied that the process has reached a conclusion," Arizona director of athletics Greg Byrne said. "We have cooperated throughout and respect the findings of the committee. Now it's time for us to move forward with a focus on maintaining the highest standards of integrity within our entire athletics program."

Olson was not reprimanded.

The school noted in its report that the coach was dealing with a number of health issues at the time and it was later revealed by his physician and family that he had suffered a stroke that affected his decision-making abilities.

Olson took a a leave of absence in the 2007-08 season and had intended to return for 2008-09 but announced his retirement after attending a few practices.

The NCAA found that Olson failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance at the university but decided against sanctioning the 75-year-old former coach because he was retired and has health issues.

"The committee determined that the coach had retired and any punishment in that regard would be inappropriate," Dee said.

"I cannot say his [health] did not come into play. When someone is ill you take that into consideration," he added.

The sanctions stem from Olson's involvement with the promoter of two tournaments that were held over a four-year span on the university campus.

According to the NCAA, Olson improperly helped promote the Cactus Classic and the GOAZCATS.com Showdown in 2007 by allowing the promoter to speak on four separate occasions at board meetings for Rebounders, an Arizona booster club. Olson also urged board members to "step up" and sent them a letter urging their support of the tournaments.

The NCAA's report found that $197,000 was donated to the promoter to assist in the four events, with some of that money being used to pay for prospective players' lodging, meals and local transportation.

The NCAA also found that incoming assistant coaches Russ Pennell and Mike Dunlap participated in coaching-related activities with two enrolled student-athletes near campus at Olson's urging prior to their start dates. They were also found to have evaluated recruitable prospects at the 2008 Cactus Classic during a quiet period in the NCAA's recruitment calendar.

Pennell went on to serve as interim coach upon Olson's retirement and is now head coach at Grand Canyon University, with Dunlap his top assistant.

"I know that our university and athletic department went to great lengths to demonstrate ins utional integrity in handling this matter, which includes our self-imposed sanctions," said Arizona coach Sean Miller, entering his second year as the Wildcats' coach. "We are all looking forward to a bright future as we continue to develop and build our basketball program with integrity at the forefront of everything we strive to accomplish."

Prior to officially retiring, Olson took responsibility for the violation.
"I think that was my fault," Olson said during a 2008 interview with ESPN.com. "That wasn't anyone else's fault. It was my error and it was a big error. But I guess in 26 years you are allowed to make a mistake once in a while anyway and that's not to say I haven't made a lot of them but in terms of that, that was a big mistake on my part."

Information from ESPN.com senior writer Andy Katz and The Associated Press and was used in this report.

[DUNCANownsKOBE2]

Once again the NCAA delivers a penalty that is not justice by any stretch of the imagination by punishing Sean Miller for Lute Olson's ups done during his finals year at UA when he was losing his mind. Hopefully the program recovers from since it's nothing extremely major or detrimental but Miller was having enough problems recruiting players as is, probably cause he's not a cheater like Lute Olson.


On a sidenote, maybe he is the only reason U of A basketball is even relevant at all, but that wrinkled up senile sack of Lute Olson. I'm not sure if he could have done anymore to handicap Arizona once he retired. On top of acting like a crazy old man the last 3 years of his tenure here and scaring almost all the recruits away to the point where they only had 1 junior and 1 senior the year after he left, he sets the program up to deal with a bunch of sanctions he brought on and will never have to deal with.

[JMarkJohns]

It sucks, for sure, since the 2012 class was shaping up to be a monster with early/first ins with about a dozen top-100 players, including a half dozen top-20 players.

He screwed up pretty badly. He should have cared more for Arizona than his own legacy. The irony being that had he, both would be unblemished at the moment. Sucks, but he ran a clean program for the vast majority of a Hall of Fame career during an era ripe with improprieties and major infractions. Shame he didn't retire when he'd have been applauded for his accomplishments and not for actually leaving.

However, I know that the loss of one scholarship isn't that big a blow. Even at their peaks, most elite programs have 1/2/3 filler 2/3-star players that are their only to eat up a scholarship and little else.

Miller has won and won at a high level with less talent than is currently committed to play. When you're a coach like Calipari, and can't actually coach, you need tons of talent to bail your ass out. When you're a coach like Miller, and can get to an Elite 8 with just 1 top-100 ranked player on your roster, then you can withstand smalls things like this.

However, this is clearly proof that you're better covering things up and covering all the bases than being honest about a mistake. This was unlikely to be intentional, so the NCAA once again proves itself a badass by puffing its chest out on a case dropped in its lap, while Calipari has had two years in a row with strong allegations of intentional cheating to two high recruits and continues to operate with impunity.

[JMarkJohns]

From AZ grad, Jeff Goodman

None of it really matters.

Life will go on for Arizona's second-year coach Sean Miller and his staff.

Sure, Miller will have recruiting restrictions – whether it be the number of days he and his staff will be out on the road, the amount of official visits they can host in Tucson and even the amount of scholarships the Wildcats will be allowed over the next couple of years.

And those 19 wins back from the 2007-08 season.

They are wiped off the books.

Who cares?

None of this, which stems from Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson and his dealings with a local on-campus AAU tournament – the Cactus Classic – organized by an Arizona alum, will have any impact going forward.

Miller's success – or lack thereof – won't be determined by all or any of this.

The lack of a scholarship for the next two years won't help matters, but there are plenty of high-level Division I programs that make due with fewer than the 13 allotted by the NCAA.

These days, fewer and fewer kids ever get to the point of taking official visits, anyway, so having the total cut in half from 12 isn't critical.

Losing 30 recruiting days this season may hurt more than anything else, but again, it won't be the ultimate factor in whether Arizona gets back to the Arizona of old.

What matters most is that Arizona wasn't hit with any postseason sanctions or given any television limitations.

And as far as Olson's legacy is concerned, this won't matter, either.

Olson's legacy will be – foremost – how he built a power in Tucson with some regard to the uncertainty in which his career concluded amid serious health issues.

But the Cactus Classic?

It's already in the rear-view mirror.

[Goran Dragic]

However, this is clearly proof that you're better covering things up and covering all the bases than being honest about a mistake. This was unlikely to be intentional, so the NCAA once again proves itself a badass by puffing its chest out on a case dropped in its lap, while Calipari has had two years in a row with strong allegations of intentional cheating to two high recruits and continues to operate with impunity.

Yup, that's the most annoying part. Arizona imposed punishments on itself basically saying, "Look, a bunch of shady went on towards the end of Olson's tenure, we acknowledge that and are willing to suffer the consequences. We're trying to rebuild a clean image and we have nothing else to hide." And the NCAA basically responded with, "That's cool and all, but you're gonna get the same punishment a program trying to hide it and cover it up would get anyway." If the judicial system worked like this, it would be absolutely pointless to ever plead guilty and try to set up a plea bargain.

[JMarkJohns]

Yup, that's the most annoying part. Arizona imposed punishments on itself basically saying, "Look, a bunch of shady went on towards the end of Olson's tenure, we acknowledge that and are willing to suffer the consequences. We're trying to rebuild a clean image and we have nothing else to hide." And the NCAA basically responded with, "That's cool and all, but you're gonna get the same punishment a program trying to hide it and cover it up would get anyway." If the judicial system worked like this, it would be absolutely pointless to ever plead guilty and try to set up a plea bargain.

You'd be better off shooting even the police coming to arrest you.

They sat through two years of reputation hits, and then get slapped for the trouble. Meanwhile, Calipari is still running amok with impunity.

[Goran Dragic]

Idk how much longer Calipari is gonna last. Kentucky isn't gonna be satisfied with an oober talented team dominating the regular season but then falling short in March Madness to the programs that recruit players who plan on staying longer than a year forever, eventually they're gonna want another championship which we know Cal is never gonna deliver the way he runs things. Once that happens, it seems like there's a universal hatred for Calipari and he might get black balled to death the next time he's looking for a job.

[JMarkJohns]

Very true, but none of that has anything to do with the NCAA being the en y to put him out of commission. He's had more than enough red flags to be under constant scrutiny, yet seems to get away with whatever is thrown at him.