Ex Recruit claims benefits... ( Advertiser Gets Maniacal ) ... other findings

[Corndog308]

fOR SHIZZLE!!!!

[NewsCopy]

Tracking the Advertiser's ventricosed story
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |

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University of Louisiana President Ray Authement said Monday the school has received no formal notification of an investigation by the NCAA into claims of wrongdoing in the men's basketball program made last week by former UL recruit Berry Jordan.

"We've had no correspondence with the NCAA or anyone else on the matter," Authement told The Daily Advertiser. "Usually, with NCAA investigations, you don't get the results until they are complete.

"We have no notification that there is an investigation. Normally, we would be notified if that were the case," he said.

The NCAA did not respond to requests for comments from The Advertiser on Monday.

It's not unusual for the NCAA to conduct a probe, determine the possible validity of any claims and then inform a university it has a certain period of time in which to respond to allegations.

If there is found to be enough evidence to warrant a response from the school, the issue of institutional control of the athletic program often becomes a key element in determining the severity of the penalty imposed on the school.

The Advertiser filed a state public records request Thursday for all correspondence between the athletic department and the NCAA involving the men's basketball program from Aug. 1, 2004, to the present, and that request is being processed by UL officials. In accordance with the Public Records Act of Louisiana, the university has three working days, or until today, to notify the paper in writing if it believes the documents are not public record.

"David Walker, who represents us on in-house matters, and (compliance director) Kristi Stake are going over the documents to see which ones seem pertinent to this case," Authement said.

Stake is out of town this week at an NCAA compliance conference.

"I've been in this long enough to take everything seriously," Authement said. "We'll go about ascertaining the facts, and then say this is what we're going to do.

"Jordan was a recruit, he wasn't a student, so he wasn't involved in anything. Obviously, if it turns into something and it merits some kind of response, then we're being very, very cautious."

Jordan alleged that UL coach Robert Lee paid for him to attend summer school, and that he twice received payments of $150 each from the coaching staff. He also said a bus ticket to his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., was provided by the school.

In a previous interview, Jordan said he filed his complaint with the NCAA so future recruits would not endure similar problems. He has one year of eligibility remaining and plans to finish his college career.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[Turbine]

Yesterday's headline "UL gets no sign of NCAA probe " was totally misleading. Almost a setup for todays headline.

I'm looking at a hard copy of The Daily Advertiser and the headline might as well read 'see we told you' instead it reads "Records confirm NCAA probe"

It is common knowledge that when an accusations such as the type Berry Jordan’s has made, the NCAA must investigate. However so far there has only been a probe not a full blown investigation. The articles makes it sound like Authement's comments on full blown investigations was a denial of a probe. I don't see where he denied a probe.

I think the Advertiser is, confusing a probe with a full investigation. And I could be totally wrong on this they could be one and the same, but In a quote by Authement from a couple of so days ago, the paper wrote "Usually, with NCAA investigations, you don't get the results until they are complete."

That statement shows that something is going on and Authement admitted it, I dont' see a denial in there. Perhaps the 1973 situation is a benchmark in Authements mind, and to him it hasn't reached the point of investigation, or at least not like he experienced in 1973.

I see the subtitle reads "Previous UL denials contradicted by public documents” it just seems like 'I told you so' spin to me.

But what do I know . . .

[NewsCopy]

Tracking the Advertiser's ventricosed story
| Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |

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Previous UL denials contradicted by public documents

An NCAA enforcement official interviewed members of the University of Louisiana men's basketball team in April, Athletic Director Nelson Schexnayder confirmed Tuesday after four days of gingerly stepping around questions concerning basketball recruit Berry Jordan's allegation that he received money and other benefits from coach Robert Lee.

Previously, Schexnayder and UL President Ray Authement said the university had received no formal notification of an investigation by the NCAA. But, when asked about documents obtained from the university through a public records request by The Daily Advertiser, Schexnayder admitted the investigator had been to campus and conducted interviews.

"Yes, they took place," Schexnayder said. "I wasn't in the interviews, so I don't know what was said. And even if I was in the interview, I wouldn't be able to comment on it."

The interviews were conducted by NCAA Assistant Director of Enforcement Dan Matheson on the UL campus between April 18-22. The Daily Advertiser learned of the interviews after reviewing e-mails, NCAA release forms and phone logs obtained from the university Tuesday through a Public Records Act of Louisiana request for information.

The rest of the story

Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com

[Sanchez]

Paper makes it sound like silence equals guilty, when NCAA won't let officials comment on investigations.

[DestinCajun]

The rest of the story
Bruce Brown
bbrown@theadvertiser.com



Let's see in the end if we really do get "the rest of the story".

PS Looks like more has been written about this already than about all of UL's entire spring football camp (for like the past 10 years).

[RaginEsquire06]

I agree DC...It's a sad day in Sports Journalism for the Acadiana area! It's almost as if whoever is in control of publishing info regarding UL Sports has an obvious disinterest. Seeks pleasure in promoting negative info...ie..M.Southall screw ups during the most successful part of the basketball season.

[NewsCopy]

LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — An enforcement official from the NCAA interviewed members of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette basketball team, which has been targeted by allegations from a former recruit that he received money and other benefits from coach Robert Lee.

Athletic director Nelson Schexnayder said Tuesday that the interviews took place in April.

"I wasn't in the interviews, so I don't know what was said," Schexnayder said. "And even if I was in the interview, I wouldn't be able to comment on it."

The interviews were conducted by NCAA Assistant Director of Enforcement Dan Matheson on the UL campus between April 18-22. The Daily Advertiser of Lafayette said it learned of the interviews after reviewing e-mails, NCAA release forms and telephone logs obtained from the university Tuesday through a public records request.

"I have no comment on that," Lee said Tuesday. "I have nothing at all to say."

Former recurit Berry Jordan has alleged that:

The rest of the story

[lxa656]

I agree DC...It's a sad day in Sports Journalism for the Acadiana area! It's almost as if whoever is in control of publishing info regarding UL Sports has an obvious disinterest. Seeks pleasure in promoting negative info...ie..M.Southall screw ups during the most successful part of the basketball season.

That is pretty sad, I was gaining a lot more respect for the Advertiser in the past few months, apparently it was false hope!

[Jason]

Now on ESPN.com


http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=2085641

[Jeaux]

This must be the biggest non story of the summer. So far I have seen little to no fact but a whole lot of allegation. This sort of fluff belongs in the National Inquirer. Please, print something with a little more substance. All in all I guess any publicity is good publicity. At least ESPN used "UL" a few times in their article. In the end the truth will come out and those that are trying to fan the flame would just get bored and move on to something else. I mean, how much play would this get anywhere else?

[Turbine]

This sort of fluff belongs in the National Inquirer.

You said it. . . . I agree!

Because of Nelson's habit of couching his words for even simple questions I have (in the past) called him a "Couch Quotato" But with this situation I think he has handled it perfectly.

Here we are its Wednesday, day four of the no news to report so let’s make the NCAA imposed oath of silence the news story.

According to the paper, last Thursday Schexnayder simply wouldn't confirm whether the school was being investigated by the NCAA or not. BIG DEAL according to this much older story LINK NCAA bylaws require that all officials involved in the investigation refrain from discussion or comment that might impede the continuing investigation.

Now it turns out that up to this point Nelson is NO PART of the investigation, but as AD I applaud him for treating it like he was.

So far the Advertiser has only blasted the University for respecting the NCAA bylaws, when their story was premised on the breaking of the bylaws . . . . I’m so confused.