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Username Post: a little late        (Topic#2227)
thom 
newbie
Posts: 5

Reg: 01-23-06
01-24-06 02:15 PM - Post#13911    

Chris at Hoop Time writes that Lehigh forfeiting the games Joe Knight played in last year doesn't make up for the fact that Colgate had its season ended in the PL tournament by Knight and Lehigh. I agree. Forfeiting those games isn't enough. There should be something more. And why is Knight still playing this year? This is an embarrassment to the league.

 
Bison137 
Professor
Posts: 16147
Bison137
Reg: 01-23-06
Re: a little late
01-24-06 05:20 PM - Post#13912    
    In response to thom

I agree 100% that it is an embarassment to the league (as well as to Lehigh) and unfair to everyone who lost to them last year. There definitely should be punishment beyond the forfeiting of the games, such as the loss of a scholarship.

As to why he is playing this year, after 3 semesters at lehigh, he supposedly now has enough valid credits to be eligible to play. Of course it is Lehigh who is doing the counting, so whether he is really eligible might be questioned. Maybe they can hire Jerry Tarkanian as their new compliance director to investigate.




 
ericatbucknell 
PhD Student
Posts: 1940
ericatbucknell
Reg: 01-22-06
Re: a little late
01-24-06 05:30 PM - Post#13913    
    In response to Bison137

im not even sure that taking away a scholarship is an appropriate punishment. its one thing to do that to a major program, but when most schools in the pl dont carry 13 scholarship kids as it is... what difference is one going to make?

the games should by all means be forfeited. thats not even a question. im just not sure what can be done at this point to appropriately punish lehigh in a league where a scholarship isnt a big deal and postseason play isnt really on the line.
The Bracket Bustin' Bison are Back!

Okay. First round streak BACK ON!


 
Bison137 
Professor
Posts: 16147
Bison137
Reg: 01-23-06
Re: a little late
01-24-06 06:27 PM - Post#13914    
    In response to ericatbucknell

I would think taking away a scholarship might be a more severe punishment to a school that has only have 10 or 11 players on scholarship as opposed to a team that has 13.

BTW, do you know if Lehigh restricts itself to less than 13 scholarship hoops players?




 
bison63 
Postdoc
Posts: 3857

Reg: 01-23-06
Re: a little late
01-25-06 01:57 PM - Post#13915    
    In response to ericatbucknell

Quote:

im not even sure that taking away a scholarship is an appropriate punishment. its one thing to do that to a major program, but when most schools in the pl dont carry 13 scholarship kids as it is... what difference is one going to make?

the games should by all means be forfeited. thats not even a question. im just not sure what can be done at this point to appropriately punish lehigh in a league where a scholarship isnt a big deal and postseason play isnt really on the line.




At the risk of sounding like a reactionary (and I'm really having too much fun with Bucknell's run to ever advocate a return to non-scholarship),this is the can of worms that was opened when the league budged on its no scholarship policy. Fact is big time college athletics, and the academic role of a university are not compatible.(Don't talk to me about Duke until you check their men's hoops graduation rate) So when the door was opened, the opportunity for problems was inevitable. While my alma mater is still towing the party line, and I've written on other boards (as "unwired")that I do not think BU would aspire to a higher rated (RPI) league such as the A10, the fact is things change. BU did not want scholarships, but they eventually folded--who knows, after tasting 2nd round NCAA playoff money for the school and conference, and after all the publicity and attendant (as well as attendance) benefits, how the BU party line may evolve in the future.

As for Lehigh, if the PL does not take some kind of strong stand, then it will have clearly labeled itself as a toothless joke and will have opened the door to future abuses when under the gun coaches and ADs feel compelled to bend their ethics. I do not believe that accepting LU's self proposed punishment constitutes strong action.

 
thom 
newbie
Posts: 5

Reg: 01-23-06
Re: a little late
01-25-06 07:00 PM - Post#13916    
    In response to bison63

Yes I agree. It's definitely bad news for the league. We need to decide whether we want to go down this road and end up like everyone else in D1 or whether we want to stick to our academic ideals. I'm afraid we're no longer The Last Amateurs.

 
Bison1999 
Junior
Posts: 227

Reg: 01-23-06
63 -- Well put
01-26-06 01:53 PM - Post#13917    
    In response to thom

I, too, am a bit nervous about whether any new-found Bison success will relax the school's standards. We'd be foolish to suggest that only Lehigh is succeptible to this kind of activity. It would be a shame for the League to lose its well-deserved "Last Amateur" status.

As for punishment -- I don't see a problem with JK playing the rest of the season as long as he's academically eligible. This kid (and from all accounts, he's a great kid, making the most of his opportunities at Lehigh and, if his education leads to a full, rich life, well-served by the chance he's been given) has been put in a spotlight he didn't earn. It's a shame the Admin. is still trying to shake-n-bake around what they did. Scholarships should be withheld.

I've seen many posts along the lines of "JK wouldn't have been accepted to Lehigh had he not played such great ball." Well, I'd respond that there are many students attending PL schools whose admissions were affected by more than their GPA or SAT. Students who were good debaters, chess club champs, philanthropically-minded, good singers, legacy offspring or in possession any number of other non-quanifiable extra-curricular success have benefitted from that "edge." Was it disproportionate in JK's case? Maybe. I don't know.

But I do know that standards count. And that Lehigh's willful ignorance (being generous) of clearly established NCAA rules runs the risk of undermining the mission of all Patriot League schools.

And 'Gate fought hard last night. I smell a couple of upsets later this year for you guys (but not against my fair Bison, of course).

Go Bison!

 
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