Baylor Basketball Programs Facing Possible Sanctions

ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/espnw/college-sports/7791434/baylor-bears-teams-facing-possible-ncaa-sanctions

The men’s and women’s basketball programs at Baylor University are facing possible NCAA sanctions following an investigation that uncovered more than 1, 200 impermissible phone calls and text messages during a 29-month span.

Men’s coach Scott Drew, women’s coach Kim Mulkey and their assistants were involved in the impermissible phone calls and texts. ESPN.com obtained a copy of the summary disposition, which was produced by the NCAA enforcement staff and Baylor.

Baylor has already self-imposed a number of penalties as a result of the NCAA enforcement staff’s probe, which began in 2008 with the recruiting of women’s basketball star Brittney Griner. The NCAA enforcement committee sent a summary of its findings to Baylor in October and the committee on infractions could announce as early as this week whether additional penalties will be levied.

Baylor acknowledged the investigation in a statement released Monday afternoon and said it “remains committed to protecting the integrity of the totality of the case in accordance with its obligations under NCAA legislation and therefore the University, and its officials, will make no comment.”

The 66-page report documented a handful of secondary violations against a number of the school’s programs, but it focused on the phone calls and texts. The NCAA enforcement staff labeled the improprieties as “major violations, mainly because of the frequency with which they occurred.

Combined, the men’s and women’s basketball programs sent 738 impermissible text messages and made 528 impermissible calls over a span of nearly 2½ years.

The probe also determined that former men’s assistant Mark Morefield committed a major violation when he attempted to influence two AAU coaches to furnish the NCAA with false and misleading information regarding a series of text messages. Morefield resigned in July 2011.

The report concluded that Drew demonstrated a failure to monitor” the activities of two of his assistant coaches and that there also was an overall “failure to monitor” by the institution, which found 405 additional impermissible calls and text messages from nine different sports, ranging from football to the equestrian program, from January to July 2011, during its investigation.

Men’s assistant basketball coaches Paul Mills and Jerome Tang also were named in the report along with women’s basketball assistant coach Damion McKinney.

“We can’t get into details regarding this matter because it is still under review. However, each member agrees to abide by the rules established by the Association and our membership expects those who do not follow the rules will be held accountable, NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement given to ESPN.com in response to Baylor’s self-report.

According to the report, all of the coaches — including Drew and Mulkey — have acknowledged their involvement in the respective findings and are at risk for a show-cause penalty, which means any penalties will remain on record regardless of where they coach. Schools wishing to hire them would have to show cause” as to why they shouldn’t inherit the penalties. However, considering that most of the impermissible calls were made by their assistants, it appears unlikely that Drew or Mulkey would be slapped with a show-cause penalty.

Baylor Basketball Programs Facing Possible Sanctions

ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/espnw/college-sports/7791434/baylor-bears-teams-facing-possible-ncaa-sanctions

The men’s and women’s basketball programs at Baylor University are facing possible NCAA sanctions following an investigation that uncovered more than 1, 200 impermissible phone calls and text messages during a 29-month span.

Men’s coach Scott Drew, women’s coach Kim Mulkey and their assistants were involved in the impermissible phone calls and texts. ESPN.com obtained a copy of the summary disposition, which was produced by the NCAA enforcement staff and Baylor.

Baylor has already self-imposed a number of penalties as a result of the NCAA enforcement staff’s probe, which began in 2008 with the recruiting of women’s basketball star Brittney Griner. The NCAA enforcement committee sent a summary of its findings to Baylor in October and the committee on infractions could announce as early as this week whether additional penalties will be levied.

Baylor acknowledged the investigation in a statement released Monday afternoon and said it “remains committed to protecting the integrity of the totality of the case in accordance with its obligations under NCAA legislation and therefore the University, and its officials, will make no comment.”

The 66-page report documented a handful of secondary violations against a number of the school’s programs, but it focused on the phone calls and texts. The NCAA enforcement staff labeled the improprieties as “major violations, mainly because of the frequency with which they occurred.

Combined, the men’s and women’s basketball programs sent 738 impermissible text messages and made 528 impermissible calls over a span of nearly 2½ years.

The probe also determined that former men’s assistant Mark Morefield committed a major violation when he attempted to influence two AAU coaches to furnish the NCAA with false and misleading information regarding a series of text messages. Morefield resigned in July 2011.

The report concluded that Drew demonstrated a failure to monitor” the activities of two of his assistant coaches and that there also was an overall “failure to monitor” by the institution, which found 405 additional impermissible calls and text messages from nine different sports, ranging from football to the equestrian program, from January to July 2011, during its investigation.

Men’s assistant basketball coaches Paul Mills and Jerome Tang also were named in the report along with women’s basketball assistant coach Damion McKinney.

“We can’t get into details regarding this matter because it is still under review. However, each member agrees to abide by the rules established by the Association and our membership expects those who do not follow the rules will be held accountable, NCAA president Mark Emmert said in a statement given to ESPN.com in response to Baylor’s self-report.

According to the report, all of the coaches — including Drew and Mulkey — have acknowledged their involvement in the respective findings and are at risk for a show-cause penalty, which means any penalties will remain on record regardless of where they coach. Schools wishing to hire them would have to show cause” as to why they shouldn’t inherit the penalties. However, considering that most of the impermissible calls were made by their assistants, it appears unlikely that Drew or Mulkey would be slapped with a show-cause penalty.