John Calipari will forfeit a Final Four appearance for the second time in his coaching career.
The University of Memphis will forfeit its 2008 Final Four appearance and 38-win season, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, which cited a source close to the situation. The NCAA will release findings of its investigation into violations committed by the program Thursday.
The NCAA investigated whether someone took the SAT for former Memphis guard Derrick Rose (pictured), now with the Chicago Bulls. That made Rose retroactively ineligible. His older brother, Reggie Rose, was also found to have accumulated $2,260 in unpaid trave expenses. Memphis was notified of potential violations in January and met with the NCAA in June.
“Honestly, I don’t care,” Antonio Anderson, a member of the ’08 team told Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com. “We know what we did. We didn’t do anything wrong, but it is what it is.”
It would be the second time both Memphis and Calipari, who left Memphis after the season to coach Kentucky, had to vacate Final Four seasons. The Tigers were stripped of their 1985 appearance under Dana Kirk and Calipari’s Massachusetts team lost its 1996 berth because Marcus Camby took money from an agent.
Only Memphis’ 1973 Final Four appearance will remain on the books.
Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson, coach Josh Pastner and a spokesman for the team couldn’t be reached by The Associated Press for comment Wednesday night.
(The AP contributed)
WOODEN WATCH LIST
Here is the Wooden Top 50 Preseason List released today. Freshmen were not eligible. Big East players are bolded.Solomon Alabi 7-1 So. C Florida State
Cole Aldrich 6-11 Jr. C Kansas
Al-Farouq Aminu 6-9 So. F Wake Forest
Luke Babbit 6-9 So. F Nevada
Talor Battle 5-11 Jr. G Penn State
Trevor Booker 6-7 Sr. F Clemson
Matt Bouldin 6-5 Sr. G Gonzaga
Craig Brackins 6-10 Jr. F Iowa State
Da’Sean Butler 6-7 Sr. F West Virginia
Sherron Collins 5-11 Sr. G Kansas
Ed Davis 6-10 So. F North Carolina
Devan Downey 5-9 Sr G South Carolina
Jerome Dyson 6-3 Sr. G Connecticut
Devin Ebanks 6-9 So. F West Virginia
Corey Fisher 6-1 Jr. G Villanova
Luke Harangody 6-8 Sr. F Notre Dame
Manny Harris 6-5 Jr. G Michigan
Gordon Hayward 6-8 So. G/F Butler
Jeremy Hazell 6-5 Jr. G Seton Hall
Robbie Hummel 6-8 Jr. F Purdue
Damion James 6-7 Sr. G/F Texas
Sylven Landesberg 6-6 So. G Virginia
Gani Lawal 6-9 Jr. F Georgia Tech
Kalin Lucas 6-0 Jr. G Michigan State
Tasmin Mitchell 6-7 Sr. F Louisiana State
Greg Monroe 6-11 So. C Georgetown
E’Twaun Moore 6-3 Jr. G Purdue
Raymar Morgan 6-8 Sr. F Michigan State
A.J. Ogilvy 6-11 Jr. C Vanderbilt
Patrick Patterson 6-9 Jr. F Kentucky
Jerome Randle 5-10 Sr. G California
Scottie Reynolds 6-2 Jr. G Villanova
Samardo Samuels 6-8 So. F Louisville
Larry Sanders 6-11 Jr. F VCU
Jon Scheyer 6-5 Sr. G Duke
DeShawn Sims 6-8 Sr. F Michigan
Kyle Singler 6-8 Jr. F Duke
Tyler Smith 6-7- Sr. G/F Tennessee
Isaiah Thomas 5-8 So. G Washington
Deon Thompson 6-8 Sr. F North Carolina
J.T. Tiller 6-3 Sr. G Missouri
Evan Turner 6-7 Jr. G/F Ohio State
Jarvis Varnado 6-9 Sr. F/C Mississippi State
Greivis Vasquez 6-6 Sr. G Maryland
Deonta Vaughn 6-1 Sr. G Cincinnati
Kemba Walker 6-1 So. G Connecticut
Willie Warren 6-4 So. G Oklahoma
Terrico White 6-5 So. G Mississippi
Nic Wise 5-10 Sr. G Arizona
Chris Wright 6-8 Jr. F Dayton (Photo courtesy West Virginia athletics)
