NCAA accepts report, considers case closed
By Josh Peter
Picayune Staff writer
An investigation into whether the University of Louisiana men's basketball team committed NCAA rules violations found no wrongdoing, and the NCAA considers the matter a closed case, according to documents released by UL on Thursday.
The school launched the investigation in response to an April 3 article in The Times-Picayune detailing the possible rules violations. At the time, the school said its primary concerns were whether UL basketball coach Jessie Evans provided extra benefits to senior guard Anthony Johnson, and whether a woman whose car Johnson has been seen driving could be considered a representative of the school's interests.
"I thought it was a thoughtless allegation," Evans said Thursday. "I don't feel vindicated. It's not worthy of a comment, really."
The school's investigation was conducted by a member of the Sun Belt Conference, of which UL is a member. UL attempted to hire Chuck Smrt, a former investigator with the NCAA. But Smrt does not have a state license required to work as a private investigator in Louisiana, so UL turned to its conference office.
The investigation found that Johnson used Evans' address to receive mail because the university's dorm mail service was "unreliable," but Johnson did not live at the coach's residence. The school's athletes no longer will be permitted to use their coaches' address to receive mail, according to a letter UL president Ray Authement sent to the NCAA.
Johnnail Evans, who coached Johnson when the player was growing up in Chicago and advised Johnson during the college recruiting process, told The Times-Picayune for its April 3 article that Johnson lived for several months with Jessie Evans.
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Josh Peter can be reached at jpeter@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3407.