National college basketball writers have differing views on Kansas-NCAA battle
Kansas and the NCAA have not held back as they’ve gone back and forth about KU’s alleged Level I violations.
The case is in the public eye, which means many of the people who cover college basketball have weighed in on the matter. Interestingly, there is no consensus among those pundits.
Here is a sample of what is being said about the Jayhawks and the NCAA.
Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde wrote a story with the headline, “Kansas did nothing to stop Adidas’s T.J. Gassnola, and that’s why it’s in this mess.”
This is an excerpt: “But if you want to know why Kansas is facing a Level One charge for lack of institutional control and failure to monitor its men’s basketball program, the hands-off approach to (T.J.) Gassnola (and other Adidas reps) is your answer. It is one of five Level One allegations against the school, making this the most aggressive NOA to date from the NCAA in the wake of the federal investigation of the sport. ...
“The fundamental flashpoint of debate between the NCAA and Kansas revolves around Gassnola and others on the Adidas payroll. The NCAA says Gassnola, James Gatto, Merl Code and David Cutler were representatives of Kansas’s athletics interest, and thus were boosters, working to put players in Jayhawks uniforms. The school says they weren’t boosters, just Adidas employees trying to help the company and not any particular school, and thus Kansas cannot be held accountable for the raft of rules they broke on its behalf.”
Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News wrote a story headlined, “NCAA response to Kansas, Bill Self shows confidence in its case, but not an abundance of logic.”
This is part of what he wrote: “To the extent that there were violations committed — and Kansas did not withhold, for no reason, Billy Preston from competition in November 2017, then watch him leave two months later to sign a pro contract without a resolution of his eligibility case — there needs to be appropriate punishment.
“It seems unlikely even Kansas would fight against that outcome, depending on the severity. The NCAA instead is taking a hardline approach, eager for a profound public victory after the embarrassment endemic to the 2017 Justice Department investigation into the basketball talent game that led to four D-I assistant coaches being arrested and pleading guilty and court testimony implicating several other programs in infractions.”
Michigan State men’s basketball coach Tom Izzo was asked about KU and the NCAA on 97.1 The Ticket:
Ryan Phillips of The Big Lead wrote a story with the headline, “NCAA Is clearly gunning for Bill Self’s job in reply to Kansas over major violations.”
This is a snippet: “It’s pretty clear from that section the NCAA thinks Self is shady and was fully willing to do whatever it took to get high-level recruits on campus. Is that different than any other high-major coach? Maybe not, but he clearly got caught doing it.
“This is set up to be a lengthy battle. Kansas appears dug in and is standing by Self and the NCAA does not look like it’s going to back down.”
Mark Wiedmer of the Chattanooga Times Free Press wrote a column with the headline, “Regarding Kansas hoops, NCAA may be on trial, too.”
Here is an excerpt: “Still, who may ultimately be on trial here, and rightfully so, is the NCAA. Yes, on the face of it, this is about Kansas basketball and its complete disregard for NCAA rules in recent years, if not longer.
“But in reality, if the Jayhawks somehow emerge even semi-victorious, this could be, and should be, the NCAA’s last stand. Its continued total incompetence in yet again attempting to bring one of its worst miscreants to justice would be all that should be needed to hand it the same death penalty previously dodged by so many who mind-blowingly slipped through its enforcement sieve.”
