From: grimlok@hubcap.clemson.edu (Mike Percy)
Subject: Re: Md v. Clemson Sanctions, also Clemson Triple Double (Wright)
Organization: Clemson University
Date: Mon, 14 Dec 1992 19:22:14 GMT

mzwick@vitro.com (Morris J. Zwick) writes:

>In article <1992Dec11.174547.21601@nsisrv.gsfc.nasa.gov>
>oday@lobster.gsfc.nasa.gov  (Orin Day) writes:
>>In article <1992Dec11.073417.5115@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu> mlsa@ns1.cc.lehigh.edu  
>>(MICHAEL LAUREN SHERMAN) writes:
>>> Was what Maryland did nearly as bad as the Clemson Violations?  If not (and
>I
>>> believe they weren't) why was Maryland's sanction so much harsher?  See post
>>> on Clemson Sanctions.
>>

>All decisions by the NCAA are arbitrary and final! :)
>BTW, I think UM's sanctions were a result of their clean history. Clemson is an
>old pro at violations, so the NCAA is familiar with them. Kind of hard to
>punish your friends :)

>In all seriousness, I don't like to see any ACC teams on probation. The NCAA
>needs a more consistent policy for determining punishments!

To be honest, I can't remember what had happened at Maryland to earn
their sanctions.  But my earlier posts outlined what happened at
Clemson.  Certainly Clemson has a long history of tangling with the NCAA
and deservedly so.  The basketball sanctions in the 70s and the football
probations which followed the 81 NC were definitely the signs of serious
problems.  The more recent football probation was the result of the
NCAA's growing trivial pursuits (some players got caps, or sweatshirts,
or a ride to the airport) with one or two more serious complaints.
As a result of that probation, Clemson became the first or one of the
first to hire a "compliance director" whose full-time job is to ensure
that NCAA regs are followed as closely as humanly possible, if not
better.  CD Paul Aaron has been very quick to call up the NCAA for
clarifications on some things before doing them, or to say hey, we did
this accidently, but its been corrected, here's how, is that
satsifactory (e.g. two football players had a court date, and got driven
across campus to appear).

The most recent problems in the basketball program focus on three key
points (and all hapened before the football probation and hiring of
Aarons):
1.  that the university accepted Wayne Buckingham's transcript, even
when another, different transcript arrive later;  this led the
university to use an inelligible player.
2.  that asst. coach Len Gordy provided a recruit a first class airline
ticket
3.  that Gordy offered the recruits parents transportation to Clemson
games

The NCAA recognized, I think, in the first violation that while the
university had not been aggressive pursuing the authenticity of the
transcript, Clemson had not been trying to cheat -- no University
officials altered grades, or sought to have false information instated,
etc.  The whole thing came about because the principle at Buckingham's
high school for 9th grade made a mistake in certifying a core course.
Furthermore, the NCAA recognized that the violation was not in the
athletic department, could have happened for any student (if ETS send
wrong SAT scores, how can you know?), and was a mistake of negligence
not malice.

In the second issure, Mr. Gordy was wrong in provinding the ticket, but
there were extenuating circumstances:  the school plane broke down when
it was due to fly the recruit home.  Gordy booked a commercial flight so
the recruit would get home when he neede to, but he booked 1st class
when appaerntly coach was available.  [This incedent was not fully
covered in any reports I read, and these details could be off -- a radio
interview I heard last week told this story.]

Mr. Gordy denies the last major charge.  As he admitted to other
charges, and had nothing to gain (nd the university had nothing more to
lose) why would he deny this if it was true?
 
Mr. Gordy's biggest mistake was trying to cover up his other mistakes,
and the committe chairman stated that if he had not tried to cover-up,
non of Gordy's violations would likely have been considered major.

In my opinion the self-imposed penalties, are stiff and the committee
recognized this as well, and I think the feel the Clemson does have a
good system in place now for preventing further problems.
 
On a lighter note, Clemson's sophomore center Sharone Wright scored an
elusive triple-double Saturday night as Clemson defeated a creampuff on
a typically easy Dec. schedule UNC-Greensboro, 88-62.  Wright scored 21
points (and a surprising 8-10 from the line), 15 rebounds, and 10
blocked shots.  He became only the second player in Clemson history do
convert a trible-double (Tree Rollins) and one of a double-handfull of
ACC players to do so.  All three numbers are career highs for the
Clemson starter.  In addition, he committed no personal fouls.

Wright was helped with 22 points from sophomore
forward Devin Gray.  Senior point Chris Whitney and JUCO transfer guard
Jeff Brown wre also in double figures.  The Tigers were 32-63 from the
floor, hitting 4 3s; and a respectable 74% from the line (nearly double
last years average) at 20-27.  It was painfully obvious that we need a
backup point guard as Whitney sat out long periods with foul trouble
(Andre Bovain, who is the likliest backup point, was sitting out the
third of 5 games suspension).

For the first time this year, we saw Wright and junior forward Wayne
Buckingham on  the court at the same time, in an extremely powerful
lineup: Wright, Buckingham, Gray, Brown, Whitney;  but it was a very
brief stint allowing only one majestic slam from Wright before the
rotation was changed.  Buckingham is improving steadily after two years
absence from the game (prop. 48 his soph. year, see above; and a blown
knee last year for the medical redshirt), grabbing 3 rebound in three
trips, along with a steal and few more rebounds along the way (5 or 6
total).

Question for the day:  with 8 second left, the Spartans were on the
line.  Going for the rebound after the miss, Buckingham was too strong
and didn't get a handle on it -- it rolled off his figers backup up over
the rim and in.  Now I know that the shot counts for two for Spartans as
a fieldgoal, but how is it scored?  I think the UNC-G player closest
gets credit.  Is that right?

Mike Percy             | grimlok@hubcap.clemson.edu  | I don't know about
Sr. Systems Analyst    | mspercy@clemson.clemson.edu | your brain, but mine
Info. Sys. Development | mspercy@clemson.BITNET      | is really...bossy.
Clemson University     | (803) 656-3780              | (Laurie Anderson)