For most college basketball fans, this time of year is best known for the onset of March Madness and the run to the Final Four. Every year, fans glue themselves to the TV to watch wall-to-wall coverage of conference tournaments and the NCAA Tournament.
However, this past month has been known for much more than bubble teams and conference championships — it’s been all about scandal.
The first red flag flew when former Georgia guard Tony Cole accused current Bulldog coach Jim Harrick Sr. and assistant coach Jim Harrick Jr. of wiring him money to pay for a TV and phone bill — a big no-no under NCAA bylaws. Cole even has in his possession the most damning of all evidence: a wire transfer receipt with the name “Jim Harrick” as the sender.
Now I’ll admit, Cole isn’t the most credible of sources. He was kicked off the Bulldog team after being accused, along with two other players, of sexual assault last year. Earlier, Cole spent his high school career in at least five different high schools before going to Georgia. Although Cole and others were acquitted in the assault case, Harrick still tossed Cole out the door.
But he’s still more credible than Harrick. To say Harrick’s past is checkered would be an understatement. During Harrick’s last three stints at UCLA, Rhode Island and now Georgia, all have come under fire for some wrongdoing. Harrick Jr. has already been fired, and don’t be surprised to see his father right behind him.
But the college basketball scandals don’t stop there.
Just a week ago, St. Bonaventure, a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, was declared ineligible for postseason play after league officials ruled that junior college transfer Jamil Terrell did not meet NCAA eligibility guidelines.
However, Terrell’s suspension isn’t the focus of the controversy. After the conference handed down its verdict, the rest of the Bonnie players decided instead of sucking it up and playing the final two games of the season for pride’s sake, they would take the easy way out, take their ball and go home. So, for the final two games of the regular season, St. Bonaventure reneged on its commitments with both Massachusetts and Dayton and cost the schools thousands of dollars in ticket sales.
But while Harrick’s case at Georgia seems cut-and-dried, the same can’t be said for St. Bonaventure. While most everyone agrees the Atlantic 10 conference had no other choice than handing down some disciplinary action against the Bonnies, the sports world is torn on what should happen to the rest of the Bonnies who decided to sit out the final two games of the season.
Some have applauded the Bonnies for taking a stand against the Atlantic 10 for its “unjust” punishment issued to St. Bonaventure. These are the same people who think the NCAA shouldn’t hand out sanctions against teams for something their school did four years ago.
However, I, along with a majority of the mainstream sports media, agree that St. Bonaventure and basketball coach Jan van Breda Kolff should be punished and punished severely. Washington Post columnist and ESPN personality Tony Kornheiser said St. Bonaventure should revoke all of the basketball players’ scholarships and field a team of intramural players to keep the commitments to Dayton and Massachusetts.
If I had my way, I’d take Kornheiser’s demands one step further. Not only should the players have their scholarships revoked, but St. Bonaventure’s program should also be kicked out of the Atlantic 10 and forced to find itself a new conference.
What kind of message are we sending amateur athletes all around the nation if St. Bonaventure players are allowed to continue their free ride through college, even after refusing to uphold their duties as basketball players? Should it be alright for players to quit before a season is done just because they don’t agree with a governing body’s decision?
What’s next? Would players at Michigan, which imposed sanctions on itself barring its team from playing in the postseason, just decide they didn’t want to play anymore because the season doesn’t mean anything? I would hope college athletes would have more heart than that and realize they have been given a gift not many people get to experience.
And what should be done with van Breda Kolff? He was just following his team’s wishes when he announced that the Bonnies were refusing to play their last two games. But aren’t coaches supposed to be leaders who help shape young athletes and turn them into solid citizens both on and off the court? If that’s the case, van Breda Kolff ranks right alongside Harrick and should be kicked to the same curb where Harrick will soon reside.
Just yesterday, school president Robert Wickenheiser resigned, while van Breda Kolff was placed on administrative leave.
But that’s not enough. Until the day comes along when coaches like Harrick and van Breda Kolff are never given another job, the problems will still remain.
Matt Duval is a junior in journalism and The Lantern sports editor. He can be reached at [email protected]. He thinks if St. Bonaventure isn’t sanctioned for quitting, it should be for the Bonnie mascot.
