John Clay's Sidelines

SEC links for Friday:

• Cecil Hurt of the Tuscaloosa News details how the SEC will have wall-to-wall television coverage next seasons.
• John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel predicts that an SEC basketball rebound is on the way.
• Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun writes that Billy Donovan is excited for new Alabama coach Anthony Grant.
• Jeff Schultz of the AJC writes that togetherness won’t play in the SEC.
• Mike Herndon of the Mobile Press-Register writes that Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn is preaching balance.
• Joe Schiefelbein writes for The Advocate that its time for new magic with LSU baseball.
• Ron Morris of The State writes about how South Carolina baseball turned around its season.
• Joe Person of The State has a Q&A with South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman.
• Maurice Patton of the Tennessean reports that playing second fiddle is wearing on Vanderbilt baseball.
• Rick Fires of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette writes that the Razorbacks are cautious heading into NCAA play.
• David Brandt of the Clarion-Ledger writes that Ole Miss wants to break the CWS barrier.

Here’s what I’ve heard from the local radio call-in shows:

• WVLK-590: I will be on with Larry Glover at 6:10 p.m. Larry also will talk to Dick “Hoops” Weiss.

• WLAP-630: Cameron Mills is co-host with Dick Gabriel tonight.

Columns, stories, blogs, etc. continue to chime in on the NCAA allegations of an SAT impropriety at Memphis when John Calipari was coach.

• Ryan Alessi and Jerry Tipton of the H-L report that UK president Lee Todd says school knew of Memphis investigation.
• Jeff Goodman at Fox Sports writes that the Memphis scandal won’t stick to John Calipari.
• Dan Wetzel says person who was accompanying Derrick Rose on Memphis road trips was brother Reggie Rose. Also writes that test in question is Rose’s third SAT.
• Chicago Sun-Times quotes Derrick Rose’s former club coach as saying NCAA believes another player took test for Rose.
• John Wall tells highschoolhoop.com that he did not know about the Memphis allegations before signing with John Calipari and Kentucky.
• Audio of ESPN’s Pat Forde on Calipari and the Memphis allegations.
• USA Today wants to know if the Memphis scandal should follow Calipari to Kentucky. Vote now.
• Deadspin writes that the only repercussions will be that Memphis will have to buy more erasers.

Continue reading ‘More John Calipari and Memphis mess links’

Good column from Yahoo Sports Dan Wetzel on the John Calipari/Memphis situation and its affect on Kentucky.

An excerpt:

Now Kentucky has its dream coach and its worst nightmare all at the same time. They can wash away their frustrations of defending what did or didn’t happen back in Memphis with visions of clipped nets in the springs to come. That’s what the Memphis fans used to do too.

Calipari’s defense centers on the fact his name isn’t in the NCAA letter. Kentucky even says there’s a letter from the NCAA assuring him he’s not at risk of being charged with any violations.

It’s bolstered by the fact Kentucky knew about these allegations and, according to athletic director Mitch Barnhart, the school discussed everything about Calipari with David Price, the NCAA’s director of enforcement and the man who sent Memphis the allegation letter.

. . .  This is all nice and true but it’s also completely in line with the long history of NCAA infraction cases where the head coach never knows what’s going on. The blame almost always falls on one of three people 1.) a greedy player, 2.) a rogue booster or 3.) a bumbling assistant.

The head coach is always innocent.

There is technically, reality, and vacated.

Technically, John Calipari is not listed in the NCAA letter alleging major violations against the University of Memphis basketball program, including “knowing fraudulence or misconduct” on the SAT of a player, believed to be Derrick Rose. The NCAA has enough evidence to think that something untoward happened on Rose’s test. It does not have evidence to suggest that Calipari, now Kentucky’s coach, had knowledge of or anything to do with whatever it thinks happened on that test.

But the reality is that this story, a major story about major NCAA violations — academic fraud always ranks at or near the top — feeds into the long-held perception by many that if Calipari is not a cheater, he at least skirts the rules, doing it well enough to get great players and not get caught at whatever he does to get great players.

Continue reading ‘The technical reality of the John Calipari case’

Big Blue Links for Thursday:

• Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader reports on the NCAA allegations of major violations against Memphis while John Calipari was coach.
• Ryan Alessi and Jerry Tipton of the Herald-Leader report on Billy Gillispie’s suit against UK.
• Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial Appeal breaks the Memphis/NCAA allegations story.
• In Memphis Edge, Wolken writes on the questions that need to be answered about how the paper broke the news of the Memphis investigation.
• Rick Bozich of the Courier-Journal writes that UK’s bad day is even worse for Mitch Barnhart.
• The C-J writes that Memphis is preparing its response to the NCAA.
• Gary Parrish of CBS Sportsline writes that just like at UMass, Calipari’s accomplishments at Memphis are tainted.
• John Adams of the Knoxville News-Sentinel writes that Kentucky football’s success is all about Rich Brooks.
• Joe Biddle of the Tennessean writes that the NCAA lacked common sense in the Jeremy Jarmon case.
• Raleigh News and Observer reports that UK signee John Wall gets community service for break-in.
• UK Sports Info writes that it was a bad day for UK.
• Bluegrass State Basketball writes that the Calipari honeymoon is officially over.
• Kentucky Sports Radio isn’t worried.

SEC links for Thursday:

• In the Mobile Press-Register, Tommy Hicks reports that Mike Slive laid down the law to SEC coaches.
• Robbie Andreu of the Gainesville Sun reports that Slive wants tougher basketball schedules.
• Andreu also reports that UT basketball coach Bruce Pearl is taking up for new football coach Lane Kiffin.
• Tony Barnhart of the AJC says don’t expect more apologies from Kiffin.
• David Jones of Florida Today reports that Billy Donovan is about to take a dip in shark-filled waters, for real.

Continue reading ‘SEC links: Mike Slive sets tone at conference meetings’

Updated: Here’s link to the official NCAA letter.

Links concerning the breaking story tonight that the NCAA has alleged that the Memphis basketball program committed major violations under then head coach John Calipari:

• Dan Wolken of the Memphis Commercial Appeal breaks the story of the NCAA letter to Memphis, dated Jan. 16.
• The AP report on the Memphis story.
• CBS Sportsline’s Garry Parrish, who once covered Memphis for the Commercial Appeal, reports on the allegations.
• ESPN’s report on the Memphis NCAA story.
• The Courier-Journal reports that Memphis is readying a response to the NCAA.
• Memphis Commercial Appeal columnist Geoff Calkins writes that these allegations come with the Calipari territory.

An excerpt from the Calkins’ column:

Think Calipari didn’t know about his star player’s SAT plans?

Of course he knew. They all know. It is part of the seamy world of college basketball.

You can’t risk the future of a big-time star on something like a standardized test. So you get someone to take the test for the kid. The shocker would be if someone like Rose actually took the test himself. The additional shocker — in this case — is that someone has apparently come forth with evidence suggesting Rose didn’t.

There’s no telling whether the NCAA will be able to prove the SAT allegations. Some close to the case seem to think the evidence is pretty flimsy. Either way, it doesn’t appear the basketball program will be hit with significant penalties into the future.

What I’ve heard from the local radio call-in shows:

• WLAP-630: Dick Gabriel will have new UK basketball assistant Orlando Antigua at 6. He’ll have former UK quarterback Ryan Hockman, who is doing a quarterback camp at UK on Sunday, in the 7 o’clock hour.

• WVLK-590: Larry Glover welcomes Courier-Journal columnist Eric Crawford as his guest.

Here’s a chart of recent UK basketball players, back to Tubby Smith’s first year as coach, who ended up leaving, for whatever reason, before they completed their eligibility with the Cats.

Note: If I have left anyone out, let me know.