A Sea Of Red

http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2007/04/ ... 33269.html

NCAA Places La.-Lafayette on Probation
Associated Press 04.19.07, 7:32 PM ET


Louisiana Lafayette was placed on probation for two years and will lose two basketball scholarships under NCAA sanctions announced Thursday, stemming from a basketball player's correspondence course and the football program's mandatory summer workouts.

The head of the NCAA's Division I Infractions Committee said the panel did not find the violations to be intentional.

Instead, school officials "failed to catch the obvious error" regarding the correspondence courses and the football staff failed to recognize that its "voluntary program" for football conditioning had gone beyond NCAA limits.

As a result of the violations, Louisiana-Lafayette will forfeit 90 percent of the first year's money it got from the Sun Belt Conference for playing in the NCAA basketball tournaments in 2004 and 2005 and will forfeit two scholarships - either both in one year or one in each of two years.

The records of the school's basketball team in 2003-04 and 2004-05 - including NCAA tournament participation - also will be erased and the school will not be allowed to make any reference to it, the NCAA said.

The football team will have its allowable weekly practice hours reduced from 20 hours to 15 hours, either during the current spring semester or in the 2008 spring semester.

The NCAA did not disclose the amount of money involved in the revenue forfeiture.

Louisiana-Lafayette interim athletics director David Walker said in a statement the NCAA report agreed with the university's own findings and the school had accepted the penalties. He said the university was awaiting NCAA certification it already had fulfilled the football practice reduction.

"It is very important to note that the NCAA committee explicitly stated that there was no finding of the university intentionally violating any NCAA rules," Walker said.

The committee's head, Josephine Potuto, said during a teleconference that the basketball allegations surrounded one player who used 15 hours worth of credit from non-ULL correspondence course to maintain the minimum grade-point average and progress toward a degree needed to be eligible to play.....

ouch, that's a stiff penalty. The NCAA likes to make an example of the little guys so they have something to point to when the big guys slide by.

Count this as one of the new "plagues" -- point proven, never leave LU basketball.

Some things are worth it to get away from Dunton.

Not to mention global warming. It's causing it to snow!

Would he have gotten to the postseason had he stayed here?

Obviously that's debatable. I'd say he would have had a darn good shot. Heck, if we just had him for the VMI game that's one more person to inbound the ball to.

I don't know...it would've helped....a little stability all around would of helped us

If he and Blair would have both stayed for all 4 years here at LU, borrowing any injuries, we would have made the big dance one other time. Just my opinion.

I think Dees took one for the team...

Come on, guys. Show some sympathy for David. This flat out sucks for him after going through a season of sitting out while having to live in Lafayette for two years. I feel for the man.

LU never developed a true floor leader at point guard since Woodson graduated. Therefore, no post-season opportuities, Dees or not.

Dees wanted to play the 2-gaurd; Dunton wanted him at the 3. That's why he left. Would Blair have moved over to the point gaurd position if it was in the team's best interest and if it put us in the best position to win? I guess that's open for debate, but at this point, who really cares? I'm just glad that a new era is emerging with a more disciplined team-oriented approach. McKay is known for recruiting and developing commitment-oriented individuals with a team-first attitude. Talent will only take you so far, if commitment and priorities are lacking.

Dunton says that Dees left because he wouldn't play defense.

I guess that can be added to the list, but he definetly wanted to play the 2.

Keep in mind, Dees left of his own volition and for his own reasons.

SuperJon wrote:Dunton says that Dees left because he wouldn't play defense.

I was under that impression as well. And it's certainly not a stretch. He wasn't exactly a lockdown guy.

So ya think he left because his coach wanted him to play defense? Do ya think that his current coach requires him to play defense? We're talkin' college basketball, now fellas.

Dees left on his own. He wasn't "kicked-off."

As it turns out, he was just an all too typical high-maintenance athlete who decided to transfer if the coach didn't give into his egotistical demands. We need to let this stuff go and stop paying homage to these underachieving individuals whose mindset is not geared toward winning.

paradox wrote:We need to let this stuff go and stop paying homage to these underachieving individuals whose mindset is not geared toward winning.

Yeah...how did THAT work out once he (and others) left?

LU won the conference in '04 because upperclassmen such as Martin, Woodson, Sarchet, Lightborne, Sneed and Mantlo were sold-out and committed to winning. I can't imagine any of those players complaining about what position they were playing. For example, Martin was a gaurd who played the 4 and led the team in rebounding.

paradox wrote:LU won the conference in '04 because upperclassmen such as Martin, Woodson, Sarchet, Lightborne, Sneed and Mantlo were sold-out and committed to winning. I can't imagine any of those players complaining about what position they were playing. For example, Martin was a gaurd who played the 4 and led the team in rebounding.

Who knew? I just figured the tourney MVP had just a little something to do with it.

He certainly did. But note my emphasis and use of the word "upperclassmen" which does not apply to freshman. Both Blair and Dees played vital roles, but without core leaders like Martin, Woodson, and Mantlo, there would have been no championship.

paradox wrote:He certainly did. But note my emphasis and use of the word "upperclassmen" which does not apply to freshman. Both Blair and Dees played vital roles, but without core leaders like Martin, Woodson, and Mantlo, there would have been no championship.

My appology...I missed that.

Fumblerooskies wrote: Who knew? I just figured the tourney MVP had just a little something to do with it.

Danny Gathings???

Right...
...if he doesn't lay an egg in the finals...we might have only won by thirty.

There is more to this story than most are aware of. I have sworn an oath to secrecy, but others may know and be willing to tell. You may not have he same opinion of DD if all was in the open. I guess we are not supposed to break news on here though.