Ex-Michigan G Robinson guilty of fraud
September 8, 2010
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP)—Rumeal Robinson, who led Michigan to the NCAAchampionship in 1989, has been found guilty on 11 federal financial fraudcharges.
A jury returned its verdict against Robinson on Wednesday, finding himguilty of bank bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud and making afalse statement to a financial institution.
The U.S. attorney’s office says Robinson schemed between 2004 and 2005 toborrow more than $700,000 from Community State Bank in Ankeny with the help aloan officer at the bank. Prosecutors say Robinson claimed to borrow the moneyfor a business but actually bought a condominium, cars, furniture and investedin an energy company.
Robinson, who grew up in Cambridge, Mass., faces up to 30 years in prisonand a $1 million fine on each count. After playing for Michigan, Robinson spentsix seasons in the NBA.
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Report: UK recruit took cash in Turkey
September 8, 2010
ISTANBUL (AP)—Kentucky recruit Enes Kanter received more than $100,000 incash and benefits while he played for a professional team in Turkey, the club’sgeneral manager told The New York Times.
Nedim Karakas, the GM for Fenerbahce Ulker, said the team has handed overbanking and housing records to the NCAA, which is reviewing Kanter’s amateurstatus.
“The NCAA asked officially what we paid,” he told the newspaper. “We tookfrom the bank what we paid. Normally, we send all the documents that we have.They asked for more things. They asked for the rent, what we paid.”
The 6-foot-11, 272-pound Kanter is one of the top prospects in Kentucky’shighly rated recruiting class.
“The University of Kentucky is working diligently with the NCAA on thismatter and we fully support Enes Kanter and his family through this ongoing NCAAreview,” school spokesman DeWayne Peevy said in an e-mailed statement. “Wewill have no further comment.”
Karakas said the Turkish team provided housing for Kanter and his family formore than three years. It also gave him food and pocket money, and paid Kantermore than $6,500 a month in salary during his final season.
If the 18-year-old Kanter is declared ineligible and decides to play inEurope next season, Fenerbahce Ulker would be owed a transfer fee. Both Karakasand club executive Aydin Ors also told the Times they were unhappy with the wayKanter left the team because of their investment in the prospect.
But Karakas said the club’s interaction with the NCAA is about telling thetruth.
“This is real, and the NCAA’s main goal is to protect the amateur side ofsports,” Karakas said.
Max Ergul, who has advised Kanter, said the center’s time with Fenerbahcewas similar to a player who went to prep school in the U.S.
“They paid the necessary expenses, like any other kid who goes to prepschool and gets the $30- or $40,000 scholarship,” Ergul told the Times. “Ithink that’s the truth.”
Kanter, who did not sign a contract with the Turkish club, was held outduring Kentucky’s preseason trip to Canada last month, since the NCAA isexamining his eligibility.
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Turkish GM: Kentucky’s Kanter took cash
September 8, 2010
ISTANBUL (AP)—Kentucky recruit Enes Kanter received more than $100,000 incash and benefits while he played for a professional team in Turkey, the club’sgeneral manager told The New York Times.
Nedim Karakas, the GM for Fenerbahce Ulker, said the team has handed overbanking and housing records to the NCAA, which is reviewing Kanter’s amateurstatus.
“The NCAA asked officially what we paid,” he told the newspaper. “We tookfrom the bank what we paid. Normally, we send all the documents that we have.They asked for more things. They asked for the rent, what we paid.”
The 6-foot-11, 272-pound Kanter is one of the top prospects in Kentucky’shighly rated recruiting class.
“The University of Kentucky is working diligently with the NCAA on thismatter and we fully support Enes Kanter and his family through this ongoing NCAAreview,” school spokesman DeWayne Peevy said in an e-mailed statement. “Wewill have no further comment.”
Karakas said the Turkish team provided housing for Kanter and his family formore than three years. It also gave him food and pocket money, and paid Kantermore than $6,500 a month in salary during his final season.
If the 18-year-old Kanter is declared ineligible and decides to play inEurope next season, Fenerbahce Ulker would be owed a transfer fee. Both Karakasand club executive Aydin Ors also told the Times they were unhappy with the wayKanter left the team because of their investment in the prospect.
But Karakas said the club’s interaction with the NCAA is about telling thetruth.
“This is real, and the NCAA’s main goal is to protect the amateur side ofsports,” Karakas said.
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Connecticut files response with NCAA
September 7, 2010
STORRS, Conn. (AP)—Connecticut filed its response Tuesday to allegationsof major recruiting violations in its men’s basketball program, but won’t makethat response public this week.
Tuesday was the deadline for the Huskies to respond to the eight infractionscited by the NCAA in May.
UConn spokesman Kyle Muncy said the response fills up several three-ringbinders. He said some information given to the NCAA must be redacted before thereport is made public in order to comply with state and federal privacy laws.
He would not say if the school had self-imposed sanctions or plans to fightany of the NCAA findings.
The Associated Press filed a Freedom of Information request Tuesday seekingthe summary pages of the report. Under state law, the school has 10 days torespond.
“There will not be a piecemeal release of this report,” Muncy said.
He said the university plans to post the response on its website once it hasbeen vetted by school compliance officials, and then hold an availability todiscuss the details.
The school’s compliance office had not yet received a copy of the reportTuesday afternoon. Because of the size of the report and the observance of thisweek’s Jewish holidays, that job is not expected to be completed until next weekat the earliest, officials said.
The NCAA conducted a 15-month investigation of the basketball program aftera report by Yahoo! Sports in March 2009 that former team manager Josh Nochimsonhelped guide player Nate Miles to Connecticut, giving him lodging,transportation, meals and representation.
Miles enrolled at UConn, but never played. He was expelled in October 2008.
The investigation found eight major recruiting violations, includinghundreds of impermissible telephone calls and text messages between recruits andcoaches. Beau Archibald, who was the head of basketball operations at theschool, and assistance coach Patrick Sellers resigned just before the reportbecame public.
Besides the calls and texts, the accusations include giving recruitsimproper benefits and wrongly distributing free tickets to high school coachesand others. Head coach Jim Calhoun was cited for failing to promote anatmosphere of compliance.
Calhoun, Archibald and Sellers were expected to submit their own responses.
UConn as an institution was cited for not adequately monitoring “theconduct and administration of the men’s basketball staff in the areas of:telephone records, representatives of the institution’s athletics interests;and, complimentary admissions or discretionary tickets.”
A hearing before the NCAA infractions committee is scheduled for Oct. 15.
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Protective order against Pilgrim dropped
September 7, 2010
STILLWATER, Okla. (AP)—A judge has dismissed an emergency protective orderissued against Oklahoma State forward Matt Pilgrim after a woman accused him ofrape.
Payne County Special Judge Phillip Corley made the decision during a hearingTuesday after concluding there was insufficient evidence of rape. Pilgrim hasn’tbeen arrested or charged with a crime.
Corley scolded Pilgrim and the woman and said their behavior wasn’tappropriate. He said the parties were in court because of both of their actions.
The woman’s attorney, Park Medearis, said he was disappointed with theruling. Medearis says evidence presented to Corley indicated that she toldPilgrim “no” before engaging in sex.
Asked after the ruling how he felt, Pilgrim said: “Great.”
Pilgrim averaged 8.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his first seasonwith the Cowboys.
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Kansas AD Perkins retires 1 year early
September 7, 2010
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP)—Embattled Kansas athletics director Lew Perkins hasretired, a year before he planned to step down.
Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little and Perkins made the announcement Tuesday.
Perkins is 65. He had said in June he would retire in 2011.
Since Perkins arrived from UConn, the Jayhawks have won the NCAA basketballchampionship and the football team won the Orange Bowl.
But there have also been scandals and embarrassments, including a ticketscam allegedly conducted by staff members that cost the school as much as $3million.
Perkins has not been implicated in any wrongdoing in the ticket scandal.Sean Lester was named interim athletics director.
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Duke star Singler has knee surgery
September 3, 2010
DURHAM, N.C. (AP)—Duke senior Kyle Singler is recovering from kneesurgery.
The school said last season’s most outstanding player at the Final Four hadarthroscopic surgery on his left knee Friday afternoon at the Duke UniversityMedical Center. He is expected to recover in time for the start of preseasonpractice Oct. 15.
Associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski (whoa-jah-KOW’-skee) says Singlerwas having some “discomfort” in his knee, so he decided to go ahead and havethe surgery.
Singler averaged nearly 18 points and seven rebounds to help Duke win itsfourth NCAA championship.
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SEC taking 3 more tourneys to Nashville
September 3, 2010
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—The Southeastern Conference has agreed to bring themen’s basketball tournament to Nashville three more times this decade, makingMusic City home to four events through 2019.
The league announced the multi-year agreement Friday. The SEC men’stournament already had been scheduled to be played at Bridgestone Arena in 2013,and now the event will be in Nashville in 2015, 2016 and 2019.
Commissioner Mike Slive says they are excited about this relationship withNashville in a town that provides SEC fans and teams a great postseasonexperience. The tournament averaged 17,441 fans in Nashville in March.
The SEC has yet to award the tournament for 2017 and 2018. The tournamentwill be in Atlanta in 2011 and 2014 an dNew Orleans in 2012.
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Michigan State G Lucious pleads guilty
September 3, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP)—Michigan State junior guard Korie Lucious haspleaded guilty to misdemeanor reckless driving.
The plea was entered Thursday and sentencing was set for Dec. 20. The20-year-old Lucious originally had been charged with operating while intoxicatedafter he was pulled over early Monday near the campus in East Lansing.
Coach Tom Izzo said he was disappointed in Lucious and that the programlooked forward to “moving past this.”
Lucious made a game-winning, 3-point shot to lift the Spartans into theround of 16 in the NCAA tournament last season and helped them advance to theFinal Four.
Lucious averaged 5.6 points per game last season and started six games. TheMilwaukee native was suspended for a game last season for missing class.
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Drexel moves on from offseason arrests
September 3, 2010
PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Bruiser Flint wants to focus on basketball, not apossible trial.
He loved the sights, sounds and competitive basketball Drexel experienced onlast week’s tour of Turkey that let Flint, the Dragons’ 10th-year coach, get anearly look at an unexpected new lineup.
Drexel’s summer vacation in Cesme and Istanbul came at a perfect time forthe troubled program. The trip let the Dragons start to rebound from theshattering news that two players were arrested in July. Starting point guardJamie Harris and backup forward Kevin Phillip face robbery, theft and weaponscharges. They are indefinitely suspended.
“Everybody was in shock,” Flint said Thursday. “We still are in shock alittle bit.”
Harris, a 5-foot-10 point guard out of New York City, started all 32 gamesfor the Dragons last season and averaged 14.5 points. Phillip, a 6-6 forwardfrom Brooklyn, averaged 2.9 points and 3.1 rebounds as a reserve in 31 games.
Flint insisted the legal woes won’t affect the Dragons this season.
“We tried not to harp on it. Everyone understands what happened,” Flintsaid. “We just hope the best for those guys. We discussed it a little bit. Iwouldn’t say we spent a whole lot of time on it. We discussed it as much as weneeded to. Guys sat around talked about what we needed to do. We’re ready tomove on to the next chapter.”
Authorities allege that the two 21-year-old players and a third studentplanned to take money believed to be in an off-campus apartment in WestPhiladelphia, but ended up with only two cell phones. Harris’ attorney hadpreviously called the charges “unfounded.”
Flint said the lingering legal issues make it tough for to open up about histhoughts on the pending case.
“I just get some texts from their parents and stuff like that sayingthey’re OK,” Flint said.
So it was off to Turkey to work with the players they do have on the roster.The Dragons played the Egyptian under-20 squad, and Turkish pro teams in theweek they were there, bonding over what Flint called “an amazing experience.”The Dragons did everything from visit the Grand Theater of Ephesus, traditionalTurkish baths and feast on lamb kabobs.
Flint returned Monday night and was back in his office Wednesday ready tohit the recruiting trail.
“One of the tough things about being a coach is that you never know whatthey’re going to do,” Flint said. “Any coach worth his weight is going topreach about staying out of trouble and doing the right things. But you’redealing with 17- to 22-year-old kids and sometimes they make mistakes.”
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