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This is from March 20th, but I did not see it posted on the site. It just came up in a search. I enjoyed the read!
But soon enough, the NCAA will be coming after him just like it went after Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim. The only question is how soon — and how severe the punishment.
“Our university, we had some mistakes,” Williams said Friday of the academic fraud that coursed through UNC’s sports programs for two decades.
And you know what? He’s not getting off that easy.
He’s not walking away unscathed with an all-encompassing throwaway line when he alone could have — nearly 10 years ago to the day — stopped rampant academic fraud that has tainted one of America’s finest public institutions. Just like his friend Boeheim couldn’t walk away from systemic problems in the basketball program at Syracuse.
In the end, the long arm of reality reaches us all.
A year ago, former UNC star Rashad McCants told ESPN how North Carolina placed him in the now infamous no-show classes to keep him eligible. He said Williams knew about it; Williams said he knew nothing.
Fine, let’s look at the indisputable facts.
In the fall of 2004, McCants failed two of his four classes (psychology and algebra) at UNC. Four months later, after leading the Tar Heels to the national title, after all that travel and all those late nights playing basketball and the month-long carnival that is tournament basketball, McCants finished the spring semester with straights A’s in four classes.
And Williams knew nothing about this unbelievable turnaround.
Think about this: a man who has all of 15 players to coach and teach and mold into young men (his words, not mine), can say he knew nothing about no-show classes when he knows everything else about the 15 players he spent years recruiting and spent countless moments promising mothers and fathers he would take care of their son for the next four years of their lives.
Before we go further, let’s give in on basketball being the most important thing in those 15 players’ lives. It’s a no-brainer.
That means No. 2 must be academics — because without academics, without players staying eligible, there is no basketball. McCants failed half of his courses one semester, and got straight A’s the next, and somehow Williams wants us to believe he knew nothing about bogus classes when a player who was on the verge of flunking out of school made the Dean’s List the next semester.
At the very least, that’s a red flag that, bare minimum, causes a coach to pull a player in the office and A.) congratulate him, or B.) ask how the stark turnaround happened — if for no other reason than to use the anecdote with future players in academic limbo.
Yep, Williams knew nothing. Just like Boeheim knew nothing of the crooked YMCA deal, too.
Welcome, everyone, to the wonderful world of plausible deniability. If there’s nothing tangible, no emails or texts or eyewitnesses linking you to an NCAA violation, fighting it is simple: deny, deny, deny.
Are you going to take the word of a moody malcontent like McCants, or are you to believe the coach with his syrupy Carolina drawl and history of winning big (and by proxy, making boatloads of cash for the university)?
The NCAA, in its haste (or maybe on purpose; but that’s another story for another time), believed Williams at the end of its initial investigation and proclaimed — to this day, I can’t even fathom this excuse — the bogus classes weren’t really bogus classes because every student on campus had the ability to take the classes.
Only after McCants went public with his story did the NCAA realize it better take another shot at UNC, and that’s where we stand today. Two years ago, Williams landed two five-star recruits, including forward Justin Jackson — the best player of any team here in the second round.
This year’s recruiting class consists of one player: forward Luke Maye, a three star project with no other significant offers. The NCAA mess has taken its toll, but you wouldn’t know it by Williams’ Pollyanna outlook.
“He told me when he was recruiting me that (the NCAA investigation) wouldn’t affect me,” Jackson said. “I trusted him then, I trust him now.”
Last October, an independent report — paid for by UNC — did not directly implicate Williams. It is here where I remind you of Boeheim, whose university also didn’t directly implicate him when they offered up self-imposed sanctions to soften the blow of the NCAA hammer.
It didn’t work for Boeheim, and it won’t work for Williams. The only question now is how soon will the NCAA come down on Williams — and how severe the punishment.
They received the NOA 3 weeks ago and still crickets. That one must be a monster.
Smarter than the average bear
They received the NOA 3 weeks ago and still crickets. That one must be a monster.
That and/or they are delaying their response as long as possible to push a possible post-season basketball ban beyond this coming season, their best chance in years.
Another interesting read from The Daily Tar Heel:
On May 15, UNC filed additional documents in a suit brought against the University by former UNC athletes Rashanda McCants and Devon Ramsay. The NCAA was also named as a defendant.
The suit alleges that UNC violated implied contracts by failing to provide the plaintiffs with an adequate education in exchange for their athletic performances. It also alleges that the NCAA failed to “protect the education and educational opportunities of student-athletes (including the provision of academically sound courses).”
According to documents obtained by CBS Sports, part of UNC’s defense is that there are no grounds for the assertion that UNC had a legal responsibility to provide an adequate education.
This defense from UNC is hypocritical given their support for a model that proposes to compensate athletes with education.
McCants and her brother Rashad have long been speaking out on behalf of student-athletes who took “paper” classes.
Rashad McCants told ESPN in 2014 that he thought he didn’t have to go to class.
“You just show up and play,” he said.
“You’re not there to get an education, though they tell you that.”
In short, the McCants siblings and Ramsay played for no pay but were supposedly compensated with a world class UNC education. But Rashad McCants’ unofficial transcript shows that he received 10 A’s in his African-American studies classes. In his classes outside the Department of African and Afro-American Studies, he received six C’s and three failing grades. He told ESPN that he assumed tutors writing papers for athletes was to be expected.
The University administration supports the collegiate model, under which scholarships are exchanged for an athlete’s skills. In order for this system to function with semblance of fairness, the University has to hold up their end of the bargain — assuring that students are indeed receiving a quality education, not being directed to fraudulent classes.
In UNC’s court filings is a clear instance of the University avoiding responsibility for allowing McCants and Ramsay to receive inadequate compensation.
The UNC administration can’t have it both ways. Under the current model, an athlete agrees to work without pay and in turn, bring money and prestige to the University.
If the University really believes that an education is concrete and adequate compensation for athletes’ services, they should not pretend otherwise in rebutting litigation for that compensation.
Well unfortunately, McCants still wouldn’t talk to the NCAA. All he cares about is himself and money. Can’t give too much credence to a guy who said he was getting $10M from UNC and $300M from the NCAA.
That and/or they are delaying their response as long as possible to push a possible post-season basketball ban beyond this coming season, their best chance in years.
Why do people think they’re going to be a national contender next season? And I’m don’t mean to pick on you WTNY, I’ve seen a lot of articles claiming they should be a top contender for a title next season. They lost Tokoto. I think they’ll be about the same as last year with a maybe a possibly of being a little better with the development of Justin Jackson. Is their freshman class really going to lift them to be a dominant team? I’m just not seeing it.
The more people that make a stink the better. Because where there’s stink, there’s crap. And sooner or later, crap will hit the fan.
Alias, I’m not saying UNC should win the title next year, just that they think they have a very good chance and that may be influencing their decision making.
At this point IF there is to be some kind of post-season ban in basketball, we would want them to postpone it. That way it drags out longer and impacts recruiting.
However, I’m afraid there will not be significant penalties. Probation, a fine, maybe a lesser sport takes a hit, and a stern “don’t do it again” is my bet.
I don’t think the delay in the NOA has a damn thing to do with any kinda concern for a Natty run.
I think they got coldcocked by the notice.
Like I said last month. A little circle of ancient peeps with NCAA ties, started changing their tune around March.They went from, too much money and influence to:” They’re gonna get walloped ”
Something happened, and I don’t think UNx was expecting it.
We’ll see.
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