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[Ar handed down by the United Slates Supreme Court (a 5 4 heartbreaker at the wire for Tark) it is quite clear we ve reached the first major crossroads in the regime of
Larry Donald
Cats' Pause Columnist
NCAA executive director Richard Schultz
Possiblv this man will make no more important decision in his tenure.
The question facing Schultz is whether to carry out the 1977 NCAA order that UNLV suspend Tarkanian as its coach or whether to travel a more popular road and pocket veto the entire matter.
The great irony in all this is how Tarkanian and the NCAA have placed oft each other. First, Tarkanian used the NCAA's storm trooper approach to enforcement to help improve his image and now the NCAA can do likewise by allowing him to continued an uninterrupted schedule as UNLV's coach.
Knowing Schultz, my suspicion is that he'll travel the most politically expedient road. I don't think Tarkanian will be exiled
But. then. I've been badly mistaken about the NCAA before...
'. The problem most long-time observers of NCAA rules have with this landmark legal decision mostly has to do with the fact that to be so completely empowered a group should have given evidence that it can use such power prudently.
Such has not been the case with the NCAA.
As an example, noted stories indicated one of the allegations which put UNLV on probation in 1977 had to do with Tarkanian paying airfare for a player named Jeep Kelly. This "violation" stood despite the fact a sworn affidavit (plus a cancelled check. I believe) from Kelly's high school principal wbs produced to prove he (and not Tark) bought the ticket.
Tixi often too many stories have escaped from the Infractions Committee which cast reasonable doubt on its fairness or even the competence to stand in judgement of these matters.
As a legal matter. I'll grudgingly buy the concept that the NCAA is a voluntary organization. But. as a practical matter, no one can actually believe the NCAA is anything but a closed shop. Heavens, there are Division I conferences which forbid their members from playing Division II or III teams, so do you ieall> think it would be possible to conduct an athletic program outside NCAA membership'.'
Of course not
And remember, (he Supreme Court essentially said because it was a private organization the NCAA really didn't have to be- fair in the treatment of its members. Astonishing, I'd say.
But what's really necessary here is an overhaul of the entire enforcement system. It's simply not right to hand out long-term probationary periods based on circumstantial or unsubstantiated evidence. Especially when we are dealing with people whose moral and ethical standards, I am sorry to say, absolutely beg question.
So, this is a moment for Schultz to stand very tall. Not only should he put the Tarkanian matter to rest, but he should begin moving toward a less complicated set of rules, one which at least discourages cheating instead of the current set of statutes which do. in fact, point schools in the direction of rule-bending.
I agree when Schultz says morality begins with schools
Jerry Tarkanian (above) cot
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but last week he lost his 12-year case against the NCAA when the Supreme Court voted 5-4 in favor of the boys from Mission, Kan. Now it's up to NCAA executive director Dick Schultz to decide whether to uphold the original two-year suspension.
for his life with a program which has never recovered from a Final Four appearance 10 years ago...
?I can assure the team which has more college basketball people nervous than any other is Denny Crum's Louisville Cardinals. Usually a slow starter (and this year was no exception with opening defeats at the hands of Xavier and Vanderbilt). Louisville has since moved its game up several notches. Doesn't the world deserve a Louisville-Oklahoma finale?...
?Mentioning U of L. it probably should be noted its conference, the Metro, is as good and deep as ever. In fact, beyond the Big East and Big Ten you could make a strong argument for the Metro in that No. 3 slot...
?A coach who has to be in trouble is Bob Dukiet at Marquette. The Warriors have their least talented squad in the post-Al McGuire era and have gone steadily downhill in Dukiet's three years. The knock on him when he left St. Peter's was that he wasn't a good recruiter. His efforts in Milwaukee certainly haven't enhanced that thinking. I'm told a group of former players is already pressuring the administration to fire Dukiet and give former Warrior star Bo Ellis, now an assistant, the job...
?And what about Rick Majerus. the former Marquette coach who, in his second year at Ball State, has the Cardinals off to a record-setting start. And. friends, they didn't upset Purdue. They drilled the Boilermakers. Would Majerus consider a return to Milwaukee where he won 18 games in each of his three seasons? My suspicion is the odds are against that happening, but. then, it wouldn't be the strangest footnote in college basketball either...
?OK, Arizona's Sean Elliott has been great (vs. UNLV) and he's been ordinary (in Charlotte during the Diet Pepsi Tournament of Champions). So, which is the real guy? My guess is somewhere in between...
?Prediction: By season's end consensus on America's best point guard will be Michigan's Rumeal Robinson...
putting their own houses in order. But it would also help if we could say that, like Caesar's wife, the Infractions Committee, the NCAA enforcement staff and its chief David Berst are all above reproach.
Sadly, that's not now the case...
?Iowa suffered a major loss when 6-10 Matt Bullard went down with a knee injury. He's expected to miss six weeks and what that means to the Hawks is they've lost a true, star-quality inside player...
?After knocking down 23 of 26 shots against Miami, Duke's Danny Ferry is getting a fresh evaluation from pro scouts who. remarkably, had been rather cool to the 6-10 All-American...
?Seton Hall, which came into this year needing to convince itself as much as anyone that the program was among the nation's legit heavyweights, has been outstanding. After watching the Pirates win the Great Alaska Shootout against a so-so field, I, like many, had doubts. But P.J. Carlesimo's club has answered every bell since, including a win over St. John's in Alumni Hall, the first victory on that campus for a Seton Hall team since 1913. Third place in the Big East is a real possibility...
?Villanova, New Mexico and. yes, despite all. Kentucky are the major early-season disappointments while UCLA, Missouri and Ball State have to be considered the surprises...
?After getting blown away at Purdue, UConn came back to win at Virginia. That says the Huskies are a for real NCAA tournament prospect...
?Concerned fans at Wichita State are already circling the wagons in an effort to keep Eddie Fogler as the Shockers' coach. They've put together an annuity package which would be worth $1 million to Fogler in 10 years.
?Another Missouri Valley coach, Ron Greene at Indiana State, is on no such joy ride. Greene, in his fourth year here after succesful stints at New Orleans. Mississippi State and Murray State, is probably fighting