Fresno to be banned THIS year from post season

[crazy horse]

On the WAC forum, a Fresno fan says that FSU just announced they will not participate in post season this year - NCAA or NIT. Part of the ongoing NCAA investigation and self-imposed.

[crazy horse]

No WAC tourney for Fresno either. Here's the story from the AP:

Associated Press

FRESNO, Calif. -- Fresno State banned its men's basketball team from playing in the postseason this year after the school confirmed allegations of academic fraud.

The Bulldogs (20-6, 13-3 Western Athletic Conference) already has clinched the regular-season league title, but they won't be permitted to play in the conference tournament, the NCAA Tournament or the NIT.

"I regret that this severe action will affect student-athletes, staff and coaches who were utterly unconnected to the problem,'' university president John D. Welty said Monday. "However, it is important that this institution guarantee its academic integrity. We simply will not tolerate academic misconduct in any form.''

In mid-February, former basketball team statistician Stephen Mintz said he was enlisted to take part in a scheme to write papers in exchange for cash for three members of the school's basketball team during the 1999-2000 season under former coach Jerry Tarkanian.

While the specific violations were not revealed Monday, Welty announced that most of the allegations were true.

"While I regret having to take an action that is so hurtful to our current team, it is consistent with NCAA precedent, and I believe it is in the best long-term interest of the basketball program and the university,'' he said.

"Doing it now puts our program in the best possible position to enter next year with a clean slate,'' he added. "Most importantly, it demonstrates to the NCAA that we are dealing with this problem in the most serious manner.''

Mintz told The Fresno Bee in February that he wrote and delivered 17 pieces of course work in 2000 for three players -- Courtney Alexander, Terrance Roberson and Dennis Nathan -- and was paid $1,500 for his work.

Alexander, who now plays for the New Orleans Hornets, faxed a statement to a Fresno television station after Mintz went public with the charges.

"I categorically deny that Mr. Mintz ever wrote a paper for me,'' Alexander's statement said. "All he did was type papers for me, for which he was fairly compensated. (Mintz) obviously is trying to make a name for himself at my expense.''

What does this for SMUs chances and the WAC postseason prospects?

[RI Stang]

Everything I've read tonight says that the WAC Tourney is still a possibility - that the WAC schools will vote on whether Fresno will be allowed to play or not.

I don't see why anyone should let them. While it's a shame for the current players, it does the WAC no good to have the tourney champ ineligible.

If that were to happen, how do they decide who goes?? I guess the next spot would be regular season champ, which of course again is Fresno. So then the 2nd place team? I don't think our Ponies can finish 2nd, can they? With Nevada and Tulsa still playing each other, one has to win at least once.

[ponyte]

How does the WAC tourny work now? Does the new first place team get a bye? Has anyone heard how this will affect the seeding?

[TUfan]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by ponyte:
<B>How does the WAC tourny work now? Does the new first place team get a bye? Has anyone heard how this will affect the seeding?</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


What probably will happen (I can't guarentee it) is that they will use the old bracket from before the WAC expanded and have 1 play in game and the first 7 teams will get a bye in the first round. Second round would then be the revised bracket.

[ponyte]

Thanks TUfan. It sure makes the Tourny a little more interesting.

[Nacho]

I have zero respect for the NCAA. I hate to see anyone come under their wrath.

[PonyPride]

There's a very thorough story in today's Fresno Bee. I just linked the story on the PonyFans.com homepage. Well worth the read.

[PonyPride]

And here's a link to a secondary story about the team's reaction.

<A HREF="http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/story/6308587p-7258452c.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.fresnobee.com/sports/story/6308587p-7258452c.html</A>

[Eddie P]

Around midnight on ESPN, they did a quick update where they said that although it wasn't assured that Fresno would miss the conference tourney, that a vote of the conference AD's had been unanimously against allowing Fresno to participate in the tourney this year. They then shifted back to the game in action where they discussed it a bit more and both announcers agreed that it would be silly to allow Fresno to play. I was tired at the time but I think that is what I heard.

[FloridaMustang]

HAHAHAHAA....does anyone else think these guys are getting what they have deserved for OH so long? Tark was a cheat. These are self-imposed penalties...god knows what the NCAA would have done to them. Who knows if this will even satisfy them. Hopefully not!

[FloridaMustang]

On the other hand:

"A new NCAA rule allows a conference to protect its automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, Benson said, meaning if Fresno State won the WAC tournament, the conference still would send a team.

With Michigan banned from the postseason this year, its conference, the Big Ten, implemented a rule that if Michigan wins the tournament, the conference's regular-season champion earns the automatic bid. If Michigan wins that, too, the second-place team during the regular season gets the bid."

So hmmm...maybe we should have let them play so that we could still send a team to the NCAA's. They'd probably win knowing they are banned from the NCAA's.