Kansas calling out the NCAA over the Diallo situation

[OUHoops]

Interesting.

Kansas Officials Sharply Criticize NCAA Over Diallo Case
By DAVE SKRETTA, AP SPORTS WRITER LAWRENCE, Kan.

Kansas officials have sharply criticized the NCAA over its handling of five-star prospect Cheick Diallo, who remains ineligible to participate in games for the Jayhawks after several months of investigations.

In a letter from Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger to NCAA vice president Oliver Luck, the school contends that it has found "serious and legitimate misrepresentations attributed to NCAA process, unfounded verbal statements and inadequate professional standards."

The NCAA has been investigating Diallo's classwork from Our Savior New American, a prep school in New York, along with the forward's relationship with his guardian, Tidiane Drame.

The six-page letter, first obtained by the Lawrence Journal-World, outlines 19 concerns with the NCAA's investigation process, and describes in detail steps made by the school to provide the NCAA with the necessary paperwork to grant Diallo's eligibility.

"Our institutional investment is approaching six figures on all levels," Zenger wrote in the letter dated Nov. 10, adding he "wholeheartedly supports such exhorbitant expenditures" due to the numerous problems school officials have uncovered in the NCAA's handling of the case.

The 6-foot-9 Diallo is considered a likely NBA lottery pick, even though he has only played organized basketball for about five years. While still raw on offense, his high energy and ability to attack the glass could be the missing piece for Kansas to make a Final Four run.

Diallo has been cleared to practice with the Jayhawk, and this past weekend the NCAA granted a waiver so that he could travel with the team to the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. Kansas (1-1) opens against Chaminade on Monday night.

There still has been no movement in Diallo's ability to play in games, prompting coach Bill Self to call the process "immensely frustrating" on more than occasion.

The first issue that Kansas officials have with the process is a lack of partnership on behalf of the governing body's Eligibility Center, which has been evaluating Our Savior — a school that has produced numerous Division I prospects — for nearly four years with little explanation.

Zenger writes that Self, assistant coaches and the school's compliance director have visited the school on numerous occasions. They have observed classroom instruction, met with teachers and administrators and reviewed Diallo's classwork.

Meanwhile, Zenger said, the NCAA's staff has yet to visit the school in person.

"On numerous occasions," he wrote, "Kansas staff has alerted NCAA staff when visiting OSNAS. The NCAA, until most recently, made no effort to accompany us on a visit."

Zenger also criticized the NCAA over its lack of communication, contending that several months would go by before the Eligibility Center would respond to requests for information. In some cases, the information had been in the NCAA's hands since the beginning of its review process.

Then there is what Zenger called "undue scrutiny" of Diallo, a native of the French-speaking West African nation of Mali who moved to the U.S. to pursue an education and play basketball.

The school points out several graduates of Our Savior have gained eligibility through the waiver process, including Pittsburgh freshman Damon Wilson and Oklahoma State freshman Davon Dillard — both of whom where Diallo's teammates. Wilson actually attended high schools in Georgia and New Jersey before finishing at the prep school in New York.

"Yet somehow Cheick has been singled out," Zenger wrote. "Based on the limited information the NCAA currently possesses about the school and its curriculum, it is not possible to distinguish between Cheick and the student-athletes whose waivers have been approved."

The school sent copies of the letter to NCAA president Mark Emmert, several members of the NCAA Eligibility Center, Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and lawyers involved in the case.

"I close where I began," Zenger wrote. "Cheick Diallo should be eligible immediately, because when reviewing the totality of this situation, it is clear the NCAA has failed to put forth an open-minded best effort for a student-athlete and to uncover facts supporting eligibility, all of which the University of Kansas did."

 

[AdaSooner]

Gotta give it up to Self for taking a stand against the way the NCAA has handled the Diallo case. On the surface it doesn't appear to be all that different than what OU went through with Buford, except the NCAA is allowing him to practice and travel with the team the first semester. As we all know, Dante had to wait until the second semester to be part of the team.

The interesting thing to me going forward will be if the NCAA will cave to the national publicity Self has brought to this case? My money is on Bill Self and KU in the end! Not that Diallo is more serving then Buford. It's just that, as much as I hate to admit it, the Jayhawks and their coach have a bigger stroke with the NCAA than OU.

 

[skyvue]

Yeah, I've been asking myself why he gets to practice with the team. For a school that should have some sway with the NCAA, we sure get the short end of the stick from them a lot. Surely they're not still bitter over that now-ancient OU/UGA lawsuit.

 

[j2d2]

I admire Kansas' criticisms and the like are long, long overdue. Congress needs to eliminate this unaccountable dictatorship and institute a framework for upper level schools which they would then fill in.

 

[usedtobe1]

Good for KU and Bill Self. Maybe OU should have challenged the NCAA last year. I agree with Ada. Why is Diallo getting to practice and travel with the team? Buford and Brandon Francis that graduated with Buford last year weren't even allowed to practice. Francis was the #35 rated recruit and signed with Florida, whereas Buford was #72 and signed with OU. Two other ACD basketball players in the same 2014 class were allowed to play for other D1 schools.

Here's a good article about Arlington Country Day (ACD) and Dante Buford is mentioned in the article: ACD and the NCAA scrutiny

 

[MsProudSooner]

I watched a few minutes of a Kansas game recently and they mentioned the NCAA investigating classes a player took in the 6th grade. Was that hyperbole or fact?

 

[CoachTalk]

nvm

 

[sperry]

Good for Kansas. The NCAA screwed Dante Buford, doesn't mean they should be able to screw Cheick Diallo now.

If I was an elite NBA prospect, there isn't a chance in hell I would go make money for the NCAA for free. I'd sign a shoe deal, get an agent and a trainer, and go play in a professional league in some cool place, while getting paid for my services.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Good for Kansas. The NCAA screwed Dante Buford, doesn't mean they should be able to screw Cheick Diallo now.

If I was an elite NBA prospect, there isn't a chance in hell I would go make money for the NCAA for free. I'd sign a shoe deal, get an agent and a trainer, and go play in a professional league in some cool place, while getting paid for my services.

overseas for 6 figures .. d league for 40k .. plus a shoe deal .. either way sounds good ..

 

[usedtobe1]

If I was an elite NBA prospect, there isn't a chance in hell I would go make money for the NCAA for free. I'd sign a shoe deal, get an agent and a trainer, and go play in a professional league in some cool place, while getting paid for my services.

That's exactly what Emmanuel Mudiay did last year. He signed with SMU but later signed to play in China for a year for $1.2 million. After that year, he was drafted #7 in the NBA draft and is the starting PG as a rookie for the Denver Nuggets.

 

[BCSooners]

He just got cleared but has to wait until December 1 to play. Why would he have to wait to play if he is cleared?

 

[Sooner_In_MI]

Good on Kansas for sticking up to the NCAA here. I will say though, since Diallo got cleared it's ridiculous that Buford wasn't allowed to play last year, much less the fact that he wasn't even able to practice or travel with the team.

Unrelated, but this kind of publicity push is what OU football needs to do in the offseason to get Baker back his year of eligibility that he lost when transferring over.

 

[AdaSooner]

Good on Kansas for sticking up to the NCAA here. I will say though, since Diallo got cleared it's ridiculous that Buford wasn't allowed to play last year, much less the fact that he wasn't even able to practice or travel with the team.

Unrelated, but this kind of publicity push is what OU football needs to do in the offseason to get Baker back his year of eligibility that he lost when transferring over.

I couldn't agree more. That's why I said on another thread "Looks like pitching a hissy fit works." No one will ever convince me that Self's rant didn't trigger the NCAA's timely, if not favorable decision. Maybe coaches need to use the national media more often to voice their opinion in matters like this, instead of writing polite letters and hoping for a better outcome.

I also agree about Mayfield. Penalizing a walk on for transferring to another school is just wrong! If the NCAA rule does not exempt a non-scholarship athlete, it needs to be changed. Furthermore, pretty boy Kingsbury is a jerk for refusing to release Baker.

 

[Larry72]

Kansas cheats and expects to get away with it. They intimidate the NCAA.