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SMU looking into men's basketball allegation
Copeland says NCAA has been informed of possible violation



08:26 PM CST on Friday, February 17, 2006
By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News


UNIVERSITY PARK – SMU officials said they are investigating an allegation regarding the men's basketball program that could lead to a rules violation.

Athletic director Jim Copeland said the school informed the NCAA about the allegations, which he declined to address.

"We're internally looking into it right now," Copeland said on Friday.

"I hope people know we take everything seriously. I'm not going to talk about any allegations until we know everything."

Several players have been interviewed about the allegations with more scheduled in the coming weeks.

Coach Jimmy Tubbs referred all questions to Copeland.

School officials said there isn't a timetable to complete the investigation, however it comes at a difficult time for the team.

SMU (11-12, 3-7 in Conference USA) has lost five of six games and three straight heading into today's 7 p.m. game against Central Florida at Moody Coliseum.

It's the second time under Tubbs that SMU has looked into the basketball program.

In October 2004, the NCAA ruled that leading scorer Bryan Hopkins wouldn't miss any games after he participated in a nonsanctioned NCAA summer league tournament.

SMU officials reported the secondary rules violation to the NCAA, which said Hopkins didn't intentionally break rules..

Any way the DMN could be a little more vague?

I tell you one thing, if there has been any wrongdoing, some f'in heads should roll. If improprieties were committed, and THIS is what we have to show for it? Yikes.

I think this does one of two things in regard to Darrel Arrhur. I think this could hurt SMU's chances, cause who wants to go to a program that is being investigated....however, if lets say SMU is paying their basketball players than maybe that lands Arthur because we will pay him to come here! Regardless, it is extremely sad if there were rules broken because the product on the floor stinks.

well, now we know about the vague 1 on 1 meetings around campus that Friarwolf was referring to last Friday. Not good, hopefully its something minor and inadvertant. I now see why the team literally looked distracted on Wednesday and probably last Sat too.

Maybe this is revenge - Copeland getting revenge for being forced out, or Blackistone getting revenge for Turner insulting him.

I'm gonna go ahead and make my guess - this is about recruting violations related to Bamba Fall.

If we are playing players........SMU should get a refund!

What the f--- is going on down there?

Thanks for the memories Jimmy.......

I know it's been said three of four times, but if this involves payments everyone that has any involvement with basketball should be fired because we are not paying the right players. Also, the DMN article sucks. Why can't they get an anonymus source like a real reporter and let us know what's going on.

Right or wrong, we report the tiniest of infractions, items that wouldn't see the hint of the light of day at other schools. I wouldn't get worked up about it.

Uh... Real papers use 'credible' sources...

SMULLET wrote:Uh... Real papers use 'credible' sources...

at least verified by two reliable sources before running with it...if that was the case, why not at least add the "the source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that..."

What isn't credible about an anonymous source? It's just...anonymous, they do it all the time with trades in the major sports, big time Universities (like with infractions, ring a bell?), etc.

Frequency of use does not grant credibility. Anonymous sources are not credible because you cannot verify them. They could make up a story out of thin air, slap "anonymous source" on it, and you have no way of refuting it.

Is there a chance that this situation involves Ritter's recent dismissal from the team? Maybe SMU found out he played in some kind of foreign pro league or something???

Obviously, that is just a guess on my part and is probably wrong, based on the quote that says multiple players were interviewed about the allegations. I just hope this whole thing is something minor.