F the NCAA

[jfish26]

I didn't realize that Jay Will could still dunk.

Objection, assumes facts not in evidence.

[jfish26]

There's nothing new or groundbreaking here, but it is certainly important that these issues are given attention in prominent and relevant outlets:

The shame of the NCAA’s handling of Kansas basketball player Silvio De Sousa

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-c ... 98645.html

The innocent kid is the only one being punished because the adults in charge don’t know a better way to enforce the unfair and outdated rules they make up on the fly to guard their own profits over the interests of the student-athletes they pretend to protect.

Somehow, this is where we are with the NCAA and Kansas basketball forward Silvio De Sousa.

[...]

How is any of this fair?

If De Sousa knew about or accepted a payment, then he should be ineligible. If Kansas coach Bill Self knew about or helped set up a payment, then he should be punished.

There is no proof that either happened.

[...]

The NCAA was embarrassed, and when the poorly kept secret of how the sausage is made went public, the governing body had a few options:

a) do some uncomfortable self-analysis and major overhaul that would better reflect the reality of a world in which billions of dollars are generated by athletes prohibited from accepting money.

b) double down on dumb rules, but at least do so with principle, beefing up enforcement in a way that would actually serve as a deterrent.

c) flop around like a dying fish, doing neither of the above but instead kicking the can down the road with non-suspensions that everyone understands are actually suspensions for student-athletes who have not been shown to have done anything wrong.

Guess which option the NCAA chose?

[...]

The uncertainty and indecision by the adults in charge serve as a bit of a cruel mind tug on De Sousa, too. Any ruling would be better than the status quo. If the NCAA gives him time served, he can resume playing. If he’s somehow ruled to be permanently ineligible for actions he didn’t know about, then at least then he could leave Kansas and start his professional career in the G-League or overseas.

As it stands, he’s in punishment limbo.

By now, NCAA investigators either have enough to make De Sousa ineligible or should stand down and let the kid play. Their selective and passive-aggressive methods are bad for the student-athletes they claim to protect and also bad for business.

The NCAA should be better than this. Unfortunately, this is only the latest proof that it is not.

[Deleted User 75]

Amen

[ousdahl]

I’d love to see some even higher profile player/coach - what up Zion and K - get caught with their hand in the cookie jar, only to have the critical mass to squarely put the NCAA on the spot.

In fact, that might be the only thing K could ever do that would actually make him likable.

[CrimsonNBlue]

Coach K would full throttle the duke bus right over Zion.

[pdub]

"The uncertainty and indecision by the adults in charge serve as a bit of a cruel mind tug on De Sousa, too. Any ruling would be better than the status quo. If the NCAA gives him time served, he can resume playing. If he’s somehow ruled to be permanently ineligible for actions he didn’t know about, then at least then he could leave Kansas and start his professional career in the G-League or overseas.

As it stands, he’s in punishment limbo."

This.

[Deleted User 104]

So, should we just plan on DeSousa being out the whole year?

[PhDhawk]

"The uncertainty and indecision by the adults in charge serve as a bit of a cruel mind tug on De Sousa, too. Any ruling would be better than the status quo. If the NCAA gives him time served, he can resume playing. If he’s somehow ruled to be permanently ineligible for actions he didn’t know about, then at least then he could leave Kansas and start his professional career in the G-League or overseas.

As it stands, he’s in punishment limbo."

This.

At some point, is the most upsetting possible outcome that he's fully cleared by the NCAA...I mean, let's say they announce that in like late February.

[jfish26]

So, should we just plan on DeSousa being out the whole year?

Absolutely, yes.

[pdub]

"The uncertainty and indecision by the adults in charge serve as a bit of a cruel mind tug on De Sousa, too. Any ruling would be better than the status quo. If the NCAA gives him time served, he can resume playing. If he’s somehow ruled to be permanently ineligible for actions he didn’t know about, then at least then he could leave Kansas and start his professional career in the G-League or overseas.

As it stands, he’s in punishment limbo."

This.

At some point, is the most upsetting possible outcome that he's fully cleared by the NCAA...I mean, let's say they announce that in like late February.

I would still take that over what I expect to happen ( which is the NCAA just being mum til April ).

[Deleted User 75]

LOL. The NCAA looking more and more foolish every time one of these players comes out and tells the truth of how it is.

Sounds like a pretty familiar story...

[CrimsonNBlue]

It's funny, b/c it's mizzou, but mizzou just got postseason bans in football and softball, its 2 most successful programs, for academic infractions that are minuscule compared to UNC.

[jfish26]

What's not funny is that the penalties include scholarship reductions. Bravo, NCAA, that'll teach those 17-year olds in 2019 who want to go to college. They'll learn their lesson right good.

[pdub]

It hurts the program.
The program learns that what they are doing is not acceptable.
The program changes.

That's how it would ideally work.

In our case, not having Preston and De Sousa back to back hurts the program.
Hopefully we learn what we are involved in is not acceptable.
There are a lot of 'dumb' rules in this world, much 'dumber' than the one at hand.

A good deal of people want college basketball to remain an amateur sport.
We have the G League if you want to watch that.
The NCAA is not the institution ( how they've handled it so far ) that I'd want in charge but at the base I get what they're doing.
You might think they are doubling down on dumb rules but if they can figure out how to effectively ( and this is tough ) enforce the rules EQUALLY regardless of school, and the NBA can work to get kids who have zero interest in getting an education and want to play for money in the pros, then there is where my ideal would lie.

[jfish26]

It hurts the program.
The program learns that what they are doing is not acceptable.
The program changes.

That's how it would ideally work.

"The adults screwed something up a few years ago, let's punish some current kids for it" is very on-brand.

[pdub]

I'm gathering the kids that could get scholarships at MIZZOU will end up finding a scholarship elsewhere.

[jfish26]

I'm gathering the kids that could get scholarships at MIZZOU will end up finding a scholarship elsewhere.

...where they will displace kids who would have got scholarships at those schools.

And so on.

You can't possibly defend scholarship reduction penalties as being consistent with the NCAA's supposed mission. You cannot.

[ousdahl]

kids who have zero interest in getting an education and want to play for money in the pros

I wonder how many of the best players in NCAA ball fit this bill either way...

[pdub]

I don't mind the scholarship penalties.
It's a risk the school takes and that's a hit to the program.
Whether it's fair down the line in a severe trickle down loss where Joe Bob out of Savannah State doesn't get a full ride because of MIZZOU, well, maybe it's not 100% fair. But that's a stretch so say one colleges loss of scholarships is going to affect that many other kids.

The one thing that IS utter bullshit is ( as mentioned ) that MIZZOU gets hit with this and UNC gets off free of punishment after years and years of worse violations.

[pdub]

kids who have zero interest in getting an education and want to play for money in the pros

I wonder how many of the best players in NCAA ball fit this bill either way...

Then loose the upper echelon of players in the NCAA.