:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/45837894/usa-today-8403819.0.jpg)
The NCAA lowered the boom on Syracuse basketball yesterday, vacating over 100 of their wins and suspending head basketball coach Jim Boeheim for nine games next season for not promoting an atmosphere of compliance at Syracuse over more than a decade.
- Chip Patterson of CBS Sports says Boeheim seems "peeved" about the NCAA’s comments.
- Dennis Dodd says that the sanctions could have been a lot worse.
- NBC Sports writes that Syracuse was considered complicit in what amounts to academic fraud, keeping star players eligible.
- USA Today wonders if this NCAA infraction report will shove Boeheim toward retirement. Maybe. This is a big hit to his career, and as a Hall of Famer he has nothing left to prove. Still, going out on a note like this would be hard for anybody to stomach, which is why I think he will fight through it.
Even if this report is not completely accurate in it’s conclusions (and I’m not suggesting it isn’t, I’m just giving Syracuse some benefit of the doubt), Boehim’s program got off much lighter than it could have. I think part of this was due to the NCAA not being as sanguine about some of its conclusions as it may have appeared in the report.
The bottom line is that Boeheim clearly did wrong things, did a poor job of monitoring his program, and generally didn’t take the compliance program seriously enough. Whether it’s in business or in college athletics, the regulatory agencies get really exercised when you have a compliance program in place and then deliberately do not follow it. Compliance programs are meant to demonstrate a commitment to compliance, but it’s better not to have one at all then to have one and not follow it.
Sean Keeley of Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, SB Nation’s Syracuse blog, has always been a voice of sanity, reason, and honesty. He writes that Boeheim’s loose running of the program has been an ongoing issue, and that the seeds of the Orange Crush that just came down were sown by him over many years:
Syracuse isn’t innocent. As much as the NCAA is a joke, Syracuse got caught doing some dumb and shady things. The only reason the NCAA shone it’s flashlight on us and not one of the other 300 programs where the same stuff is happening all the time is because we gave them a reason to.
You should read the whole thing. I am not going to take a high and mighty approach here, because one day, it could be Kentucky on the receiving end of something like this, just as we have been before. I sympathize with Syracuse fans despite the annoying Syracuse butt-hole that kept trolling A Sea of Blue back in 2012 — sanctions like this suck for the fans, and for the players who did nothing wrong.
We won’t be rehashing all the flaws in the way the NCAA does things here, and I will not be ripping a hall of fame coach despite his obvious shortcomings. I’ll leave that to others with more moral authority, or at least more inclination to holier-than-thou affectation, to do that.
Instead, I’ll wish the Orange well, hope they get some reduction on appeal, and that they will get their own version of Sandy Bell who can help the athletic department right the ship and steer it straight.
One last thing — if you haven’t sung any hosannas to Bell lately, may I respectfully suggest that you do so now. It would seem to be a good time for a paen to her successful efforts to keep the NCAA wolves at bay, and Kentucky on the straight and narrow (or at least close enough).
Tweet of the Morning
With a win today, Kentucky will own the two longest winning streaks in SEC history: 32 (1953-55) and 31 (2014-15).
— Chris Fisher (@ChrisFisher247) March 7, 2015
Keep in mind that UK needs 3 more consecutive wins to eclipse the all-time UK winning streak, period.
Your Quickies:
Kentucky football
-
If you haven’t been keeping up with Will’s outstanding football spring game preview, you really should. You can find the storystream here.
-
Jay Bilas talks to Jerry Tipton about Kentucky basketball, and John Calipari. If you haven’t read his comments, they are a must-read, just click the link above and do it. Here is my favorite part:
"Some of it is John Calipari, frankly," Bilas said. "People have views of John, and they’re entitled to like or dislike him. I have zero problem with that. That’s a matter of taste. I happen to like John very much, and I don’t like people … questioning why I like him."
This is exactly right. We are all entitled to our likes and dislikes, and the quiet enjoyment thereof. The twidiots who constantly assail Bilas and Dick Vitale for their appreciation of Coach Cal and their personal affection for him are among the most annoying human beings in existence, and should really see somebody about their lack of a life.
-
Ken Howlett writes for CoachCal.com today the keys to victory over the Gators.
Kentucky basketball
-
Kentucky target Thon Maker is visiting Indiana. After seeing Indiana this season, there’s no doubt Maker could help them, but Kentucky has so much more to offer.
-
Calipari has a group of superstars playing the team game. Nice article full of a surprising amount of praise. Hat Tip: Aaron’s blog
Other Kentucky sports
-
Eric Crawford has a very good article of the Hoops team’s come-from behind victory last night over Mississippi State, and the legend that is becoming Makayla Epps. UKAthletics.com has more here. Also, relive the action in Jords’ game thread.
-
Gym Cats upset #9 Auburn with the second-highest score in team history.
Links posts
College football
College basketball
- Saturday Bubble Watch from Good Bull Hunting, who should know something about that.
Other sports news
-
Why can’t Patrick Ewing land an NBA head coaching gig? Maybe he’s just not ready.
-
Rory McIlroy does the helicopter toss of his 3-iron into a lake at Doral. I’ve never done this. Okay, to be precise, I’ve never done this into a lake …
Other news
-
How serious are you about virtual reality? Me? Not all that serious …
-
These buildings were all built around trees. That’s cool.