Well, on this day without any really big games we have a big piece of news. To the surprise of just about no one I can think of, the NCAA has dropped a warning of five "major" violations on Indiana University and its head men's basketball coach, Kelvin Sampson.
ESPN.com's Andy Katz reports that Sampson's job status "apparently will be decided on a game-by-game basis."
Katz's colleague, columnist Pat Forde, notes that the NCAA's report on the Hoosiers "redacted only one name, which would indicate only one current player was named in an alleged recruiting violation."
I can't honestly say I was suprised when I read that line, given what we all know about Indiana's recent recruiting.
As of now, the best column I have read so far on this topic is by Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz, who came out firing from the very first line.
This is what happens when you hire sleaze.
So I open the debate to you all. And I would like to start things off by arguing that even with the Villanova phone card scandal, the coaches around here are about as much the polar opposite of Sampson as can be.
If you were in charge at Indiana, what would you do?
Comments (5)
What would I do?
Lets see, I certainly would not hire Glen Miller away from Penn. He is doing a good job of ruining that program.
jk
Posted by jk | February 15, 2008 8:55 AM
Posted on February 15, 2008 08:55
As an IU alum and fan, I am disappointed but not surprised. Sampson may have many fine qualities, but running a clean program and graduating players have never been among them. Say what you will about Bob Knight (and I can't say there's a lot I like about Bob Knight, the person), he ran a clean program, graduated players and won championships. Sampson and Rick Greenspan, the idiot AD who hired him, should both be fired at the end of the season. IU missed the boat on the obvious choice -- Steve Alford -- and they (we) will have a long road back to stability, respectability and success.
Posted by Hoosier Historian | February 15, 2008 10:00 AM
Posted on February 15, 2008 10:00
I wonder if Jay Wright will be on their list if they make a move to get rid of Sampson. He is pretty much the polar opposite of Sampson. I can't think of too many others I'd want to bring in - maybe Gonzalez from Seton Hall? Given my personal affiliations, if I were at Indiana, I'd want Dunphy (but he is clearly not going anywhere). It doesn't get much bigger than Indiana, so you have to figure they'd be looking nationally to give a coach a shot.
Posted by will | February 15, 2008 11:56 AM
Posted on February 15, 2008 11:56
Those knuckleheads at IU knew what they were getting and so they got what they deserve. Myles Brand (NCAA President), can the irony get any better?, ran a guy out out of town who won AND ran as clean a program as could be found anywhere. I guess they wanted to go to the Dark Side, and they did. Give Sampson a raise!! When you hire a snake, you don't expect a shining Knight, do you? Ha Ha Ha!!! Alford does not belong in New Mexico. Bring him back.
Posted by Dan Rudloff | February 15, 2008 12:53 PM
Posted on February 15, 2008 12:53
According to my sources, these are the top three names for the IU job:
Greg McDermott - now at Iowa State, and formerly at UNI (3 trips to NCAA)
Gregg Marshall - now at Wichita State and formerly put winthrop on the map
Keno Davis - now at Drake and doing a great job. Son of Dr Tom Davis - formerly at Drake, Iowa, Stanford, and Boston College (people around here forget his BC teams that would give Nova fits)
Bruce Pearl's name will come up with his Big 10 ties.
Posted by Joey Polanski | February 15, 2008 1:34 PM
Posted on February 15, 2008 13:34