John Calipari’s honeymoon at Kentucky sure didn’t last long.
Just a week after wrapping up what some consider among the best recruiting classes in the history of college basketball, the Memphis Commercial Appeal breaks the news that the NCAA is investigating Memphis — Cal’s old program — for major violations during the 2007-8 season.
The NCAA sent Memphis officials a letter alleging “knowing fraudulence or misconduct” on an SAT exam by a player on the 2007-08 team.
Though the player’s name is redacted from the report, it is believed to be Derrick Rose, who spent one season at Memphis before going on to play for the Chicago Bulls. The report does not mention Calipari by name.
“We take it very seriously. We don’t condone it,” athletic director R.C. Johnson told the Commercial Appeal. “We’re doing a thorough investigation.”
Memphis could be forced to vacate its Final Four appearance from that year, making Calipari the only coach to have forfeited two Final Fours. He forfeited his 1996 appearance with UMass.
The letter was sent to Memphis on Jan. 16, begging the questions: Did Calipari know about the fradulent SAT? Did he apprise Kentucky officials of it before he was hired March 31?
The report doesn’t implicate new Memphis coach Josh Pastner, but his program faces major penalties if the report is proven true.
Kentucky may not be immune, either.
Penalties can follow coaches, meaning Calipari could face penalties at his new school.
That wasn’t the only piece of bad news for Kentucky on Wednesday.
Former coach Billy Gillispie sued the school for $6 million, arguing he was let go without cause.
“You can’t have your cake and eat it, too, to put it quite simply,” Gillispie’s attorney, Demetrios Anaipakos, told ESPN.com. “There’s a public misconception that Coach Gillispie did not sign a contract with the University of Kentucky athletic association. He absolutely did. They drafted it. He signed it. They signed it and their board approved it. Whether you’re in Kentucky or Texas, a deal is a deal.”
In another piece of news related to Kentucky, their latest recruit, point guard, John Wall, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and entered a program for first offenders which could lead to having his record cleared.
Under the terms of the plea, Wall must complete 75 hours of community service, pay court costs and program fees and stay out of trouble for the next six months.
He was charged after police found him walking out of a vacant house in Raleigh. Wall and two other teenagers were cited.
(The AP contributed; Photos courtesy Memphis Commercial Appeal and US Presswire)
The school Arthur went to has investigated this a lot, but the important issue to the NCAA is that the (eventually proven false) issue was long before the player committed to Kansas.
That’s the major difference here, that it’s not likely Kansas was involved in the grade switching though it seems pretty likely that WWW, at the very least, was involved. They’d then need to define whether WWW fits the definition of a Memphis booster or not. If so, which seems likely considering, Memphis will be guilty of some very major violations here.
I really doubt Memphis and Kentucky’s admission standards are all that different. Accd to the US News, neither Kentucky nor Memphis are top 100 schools and Memphis’ acceptance rate is actually lower than Kentucky’s (meaning Kentucky accepts a higher % of applicants).
Worldwide has not been implicated in any of this. He name has neither been redacted or been present in any of the NCAA findings. Yes, William Wesley is a pariah that needs to be dealt with; however, he is not part of this investigation. You people are reading to much into this report. The money issue stems from Reggie Rose not paying the school back for all the transportation to and from games that he attended. His credit card was on file and more than likely this will be cleared up. In regard to the SAT issue, this is a Derrick Rose issue and what John Calipari did or did not know issue. Get the facts straight.
Derrick Rose couldn’t sneeze without getting a tissue from WWW in 2006 and 2007. To think that a couple of underprivileged high school kids could have grades changed and SATs forged without the help of an adult (with $) is a bit naive. And if Wes knew about it, Calipari knew about it.
I agree big ben, but the issue at hand is those were not part of the document that the NCAA sent to Memphis. As much as I hate, that because I wish this would follow him to UK because Wesley had and plays a role with Cousins and Wall, but it won’t, yet. I think it is only a matter of time before it does. I think this will be the worst of it for Memphis, for now, until UK is investigated and previous indiscretions and Memphis is brought out again.
d
The D Arthur deal is the exact same thing as the D. Rose deal. How can you hold the university responsible to either – neither knows what is going on. And it is laughable that the KU fans come out and say that Arthur was cleared. Cheating is going on every day at every big university. So the NCAA didn’t have proof in the Arthur case – doesn’t mean it didn’t happen – just no evidence. As they say – where there is smoke. Fact is every program that competes at a high level if looked at closely enough regularly violates these kinds of rules. What I’m curious about is how the Ncaa decides who they want to look at. Hell pull a name out of a hat and they can find these kinds of violations. Again for the kU fans – they say the D. Arthur thing was a high school thing – what the hell is the SAT then.
the difference between arthur and rose is this…
Arthur’s math teacher in his Freshman year of high school allegedly was asked by the principal to change his math grade to keep him eligible. then the guy comes out 6 years later and breaks the story and talks about how morally wrong it was. if it bothered him so much where was he the previous 5 years? also, when Arthur’s grades may have been changed he was not a Kansas commit, and when rose cheated on the SAT he was probably doing so in order to get accepted into memphis, because the SAT is a college entrance exam.
if WWW and Cal are as close as people say they are, then of course Cal knew about it. i find it unlikely that bill self and a freshman algebra teacher at south oak cliff high school are buddies scheming to get arthur into kansas.
rose cheating on a college entrance exam and Arthurs freshman math teacher switching numbers in a gradebook are not the same thing, and memphis will be punished for what rose did.
so blueberry, i understand your point, and i do think there was wrongdoing with arthur. but innocent until proven guilty right? they couldnt prove anything on arthur and already have on D. Rose.
and i also agree with you, blueberry in that i think that the ncaa needs to stop making examples of programs with exaggerated punishments, because just about everybody is doing something the ncaa could deem a violation. its getting a little ridiculous.
I can not believe the IQ of some of the people who post here. Now there is a handful of players on d-rose highschool team who have had their grade changed. do you think memphis or calipari had a hand in changing those?
after reading the posts, i tend to agree with blueberry by far more than the others.
That slimy pr*ck Johnny Cal! The only coach to ever have two teams revoke their Final Fours. At least those teams got to the NCAA Tourney. Something Kentucky couldnt do last year.
haha
READ THIS — MEMPHIS DID NOT CHEAT — Rose and 3 HS players SAT/Grade Fraud
The Chicago Newspapers are over this story. They are not saying if Rose did the Grade Change. They are flat out saying that he was involved.
And now the newspapers have said that they know who actually who took the SATs. I find that a little hard to believe.
BUT… this is a summary of what has been reported in the Tribune and Sun papers.
This is bigger than Memphis and Rose.
Rose and 3 of his high school team mates worked together to cheat on SATs and to change their grades via a computer system so that the NCAA would get the wrong information so that 3 of the kids could play college basketball.
There are 2 colleges and the NCAA that are involved. It appears that neither the NCAA that clears the kids to play nor either school nor staff new about this.