KFDM COOP Posted May 7, 2008 Report Posted May 7, 2008 Scholarship penalty means Roc unable to sign big man Bob West column for Thursday, May 8 The Port Arthur News Don’t hold your breath hoping Lamar University basketball coach Steve Roccaforte is going to sign a big man to enhance the Cardinals chances of wining another Southland Conference championship next year. Roccaforte, as a result of the NCAA’s Academic Progress Report announced this week, won’t be able to bring in a big man, a guard or anybody else. Lamar is being docked two scholarships for coming in below the mandated minimum on academic progress. Contrary to published reports, however, the Cardinals probably won’t be operating with 11 scholarships next season. Anybody who is already on scholarship, including three players signed in the early period — guards Brandon Moton, Skyler Williams and Charlie Harper — will be able to play next season. Lamar has nine scholarship players returning, so, unless somebody leaves, it will have 12 players on scholarship. If a player expected to return next year does leave, Roccaforte wouldn’t be able to replace him and the Cardinals would have to go with 11 scholarship players. If all 12 players on scholarship as of now are with Lamar for the 2008-09 season, it would lose the second scholarship in the 2009-10 season. Roccaforte wouldn’t comment on who the players were that caused Lamar to come up short on the APR. He did point out that after Saturday, when Darren Hopkins, Lamar Sanders and Currye Todd graduate, he will be six-for-six in seniors getting diplomas since he became head coach. The scores the NCAA used to determine the latest APR covered academic performance from 2003-07. Athletes earn one point for remaining academically eligible each semester and another point each semester they remain at the school, accumulating a maximum of four points each year. Schools lose points when players leave without graduating. In Lamar’s case, it is believed to have been penalized over three players, including 7-footer James Davis, who left school or were kicked off the team, and one, Alan Daniels, who departed in the middle of a semester for an opportunity in professional basketball overseas. One of the Lamar players involved underscores how poorly conceived the APR legislation is. This particular player was caught smoking marijuana shortly after school began two years ago. He was promptly suspended from the team and opted to quit school and go home. Roccaforte would have been better off under APR guidelines to look the other way and keep the player on the team so as to not be penalized at the end of the year. He opted to do the right thing and wound up losing APR points. Over 20 Texas Division 1 programs were penalized with scholarship losses, although curiously none of the state’s major schools apparently got hit. Roccaforte said that’s because those schools have full time staff who do nothing but work on appeals and seek waivers. That might explain why the University of Texas, with the lowest football graduation rate in the Big 12, as well as a bulging list of arrests that took players out of school, didn’t lose any scholarships. LU athletic director Billy Tubbs said the school appealed its case to the NCAA but got turned down. Tubbs also said he thinks Lamar’s coaches and academic advisors are doing an excellent job within their means, and that mid majors are getting hit hardest because the APR is ultimately about finances. “The BCS schools are spending lots of money on extra tutors and academic advisors,†Tubbs said. “We spend what we can but obviously we can’t match what the bigger schools are doing. To deal with this, mid majors are going to have to spend double and triple what they have budgeted for academics. “The thing is, some kids are going to leave school and you just can’t do anything about it. So it becomes increasingly important to recruit people who are inclined to stay in school, go to class, pass and graduate.†A major inequity of the current system is how it punishes new coaches for the shortcomings of athletes they had nothing to do with. The classic example of that is Todd Dodge at the University of North Texas. Dodge, who didn’t become the head football coach at North Texas until last spring, has been informed he’s losing five scholarships. Those deficiencies, of course, are directly tied to the previous regime at UNT. “There’s nothing fair about that,†Tubbs said. “That’s one of the reasons I think this is a bad rule. The NCAA didn’t fully understand it when they put it in and they are going to have to tweak it as they go. I read where (NCAA president) Elton Brand admitted there is a problem where new coaches are concerned. “It’s just something we are going to have to live with and adjust to as best we can. I’m not happy about losing two scholarships but I honestly think we are doing a good job with our student athletes. I’m proud of our academic record. I would be surprised if it’s not the best in the Southland Conference.†Roccaforte, meanwhile, will have to make do with the remaining players from his 19-11 Southland Conference co-champs, and the three early signees. That means the biggest question mark surrounding the 2008-09 Cardinals will be defending in the paint and rebounding. Returning inside players include 6-7 senior Jay Brown, 6-7 senior Tristan Worrell, 6-6 senior Justin Nabors and little used 6-10 sophomore Coy Custer. Other than Nabors, who averaged 6.5 rebounds, none of the aforementioned group grabbed as many as two rebounds per game. That doesn’t mean the Cardinals can’t or won’t win again. But it does mean it’s going to be considerably tougher.
Guest coachacola Posted May 8, 2008 Report Posted May 8, 2008 Returning inside players include 6-7 senior Jay Brown, 6-7 senior Tristan Worrell, 6-6 senior Justin Nabors and little used 6-10 sophomore Coy Custer. Other than Nabors, who averaged 6.5 rebounds, none of the aforementioned group grabbed as many as two rebounds per game. What about Nwevo?
Guest abovetherim Posted May 8, 2008 Report Posted May 8, 2008 It could have been worse. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3383981 Schools Facing Tourney Bans The list of schools and teams that have posted two consecutive scores of less than 900 on the NCAA's academic progress report. A third consecutive score under 900 next year would ban the teams from postseason competition. (Listed in alphabetical order) • California State-Fresno -- men's basketball • California State-Sacramento -- football • Centenary -- baseball, men's basketball • East Carolina -- men's basketball • Florida International -- baseball • Hampton -- men's basketball • Indiana State -- men's tennis • Jacksonville State -- football • Louisiana-Lafayette -- men's basketball • Montana State-Bozeman -- football • Morgan State -- women's volleyball • Murray State -- football • New Mexico State -- men's basketball • New Orleans -- baseball • Oral Roberts -- baseball • San Jose State -- football, men's cross country, men's soccer • Southern -- football • Temple -- football • Tennessee-Chattanooga -- football, wrestling • Texas-Arlington -- baseball • Texas Southern -- men's tennis • Weber State -- football
Guest mffl Posted May 8, 2008 Report Posted May 8, 2008 It said on the news that this was the first time Lamar has ever lost scholarships, i don't know if they meant in any sport, or just basketball. However, I do like the fact that the players who committed the infractions are not on the team anymore. I'd rather have a coach with some character. We won 19 games with the team we had last year, and we could of won more had we not of gone 1-5, and lost 3 close games that come to mind. We will be fine next year and will also the start the year with a higher RPI, I think we will be predicted to finish top 4 in the conference and probably top 3 in the west.
Guest coachacola Posted May 8, 2008 Report Posted May 8, 2008 Dawkins and Nabors will carry the team next year as they were our best offensive players this year. If some other players can step up and fill the holes then they should have a real good year, especially if Roc can get them to play better defense.
Guest mffl Posted May 8, 2008 Report Posted May 8, 2008 Dawkins and Nabors will carry the team next year as they were our best offensive players this year. If some other players can step up and fill the holes then they should have a real good year, especially if Roc can get them to play better defense. Moton will be good, Miles (IF he has signed) will bring some scoring off the bench, and Brown will also bring some bench points.
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