Seven of the Dirtiest Teams in College Basketball History

09-10 Basketball AD & Department NCS Basketball26

The 73 team made the list and so did “I know Basketball”.

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09-10 Basketball AD & Department NCS Basketball

26 Responses to Seven of the Dirtiest Teams in College Basketball History

  1. highstick 03/17/2009 at 9:02 PM #

    Horsecrap on Number 2! Drive by idiot! He’s not even close in most cases!

  2. SMD 03/17/2009 at 9:28 PM #

    I just read this and feel like I totally missed something. How is the 73 team “dirty” – just because they were on probation for a technical violation? What a dumb piece.

  3. James 03/17/2009 at 9:46 PM #

    Sean Cunningham penned this gem. Classic example of yellow journalism. It makes sense when you think about it since Esquire is a creation of Hearst Communications, from dear old William Randolph Hearst, an old warmonger and liar.

  4. Texpack 03/17/2009 at 9:49 PM #

    Since the Memphis team with Dana Kirk as it’s HC is on the list I’ll share one of my favorite quotes.

    “Hopefully our future is ahead of us.” – Dana Kirk

    Uncle Jed studied under that man.

  5. Ed89 03/17/2009 at 11:36 PM #

    Damn,
    UMass, Memphis State, NC State…maybe Calipari would have been the perfect hire. I joke, but I still don’t see the reason the ’73 team is one the list. I’m glad he exposed the “unbelievable” run of the UCLA teams.

  6. MrPlywood 03/18/2009 at 12:44 AM #

    State doesn’t belong on that list. The “violation” was so minor compared to the other offenders on that list it is laughable.

    According to the Technician Online: The NCAA violations that led to the team’s ineligibility for postseason play stemmed from a few nights Thompson stayed for free in the dorm of some friends working a basketball camp and a pick-up game in which assistant coach Eddie Biedenbach played with Thompson. Thompson said the NCAA treated it like he had been given a tryout.

    “They considered that a tryout, which I think is really stupid. I’d already signed with the school,” Thompson said. “Why would they have to try out me? I was one of the best players in the country. It was just little nit-picky stuff.”

    But Elmore said State might have gotten lucky with the length of its ineligibility for postseason play.
    “I think it’s pretty fortunate from a timing perspective that we weren’t playing in today’s environment because they would have probably been on probation and missed postseason tournaments for a lot longer,” Elmore said.

    Damn! There’s Elmore again! Dude holds a grudge!

  7. MattN 03/18/2009 at 5:27 AM #

    Absurd. Then and now.

  8. Alpha Wolf 03/18/2009 at 7:05 AM #

    “I think it’s pretty fortunate from a timing perspective that we weren’t playing in today’s environment because they would have probably been on probation and missed postseason tournaments for a lot longer,” Elmore said.

    Cut to the chase, Len — you are still mad that your precious Terps could never get past the 72-73 and the 73-74 NC State teams.

    Or it would have been a secondary violation and not thought of more than a few seconds, as was UNC’s practice with Barack Obama in the offseason.

    Elmore is a bitter and self-serving fool, and if you like him when he is on television, you are a bigger person than me. The only person I can think of that was a bigger jackass from Maryland would be John Lucas, and that’s saying quite a lot, considering it is Maryland we are talking about here.

  9. wufpup76 03/18/2009 at 8:12 AM #

    There was absolutely no proof or evidence offered in order to include the ’73 team. Just a hint of “recruiting violations”. Dig a little deeper and you get the real story. Did Dean have a helping hand in this story? “David was OURS!!! They cheated!” The rest of the teams listed had specific occurrences listed.

    I’ll say it once again, a guy on that ’85 Memphis staff is our AD. And I’m sure Memphis is once again *totally* clean under Calipari … Oh? One of his UMass teams is listed?

    And Alpha, you are dead on about Elmore. On top of being a complete ass, he is an unrepentant State basher.

  10. RSP123 03/18/2009 at 8:21 AM #

    This just continues the list of “hits” that our basketball program takes from the media. Ditto to comments by Plywood, Alpha and Pup’s comments. And, to think, if it was not for the prodding of Chapel Hill, we could very possibly be talking about three titles and eleven conference championships. Oh, so close, but yet so far away! Somehow, someway we have got to get this trend into the bball blackhole stopped.

  11. zahadum 03/18/2009 at 8:31 AM #

    I agree completely about Len Elmore. Especially since you can obliterate his whole argument with just 2 words: Moses Malone.

  12. Wolfpack_1995 03/18/2009 at 8:35 AM #

    Complete Yellow Journalism about NC State. Nothing new.

  13. Alpha Wolf 03/18/2009 at 8:58 AM #

    Gentlemen, when I get some time this afternoon, I will fire up RAWFS and dig out the exact violations and David Thompson’s take for your reading pleasure. Those who don’t remember the exact nature of the violations (and I have a copy of the NCAA’s report) will be amazed at the utter BS of the probation as measured by today’s standards. Check back here around 2pm or so.

  14. harrisek 03/18/2009 at 9:04 AM #

    Whole list is idiotic.

  15. Sweet jumper 03/18/2009 at 9:27 AM #

    As I recall, the NCAA investigator on the David Thompson issue was Bill Guthridge’s college roommate. He allegedly flew into RDU, spent the weekend with Guthridge and then drove off to Raleigh Monday to investigate the Wolfpack. I’m sure they talked about old times and never discussed DT and State and their impending dominance of the ACC and that State must have cheated for DT to not sign with UNX. Whatever. And I am sure that nothing underhanded went on with Tom McMillen at UNX and MD and with Moses Malone at MD.

  16. whitefang 03/18/2009 at 10:16 AM #

    Len Elmore played for Lefty and we all know Lefty was as pure as the driven snow.

  17. GAWolf 03/18/2009 at 10:18 AM #

    So is a conspiracy theory still a theory when there is evidence that supports it’s existence?

  18. Noah 03/18/2009 at 10:22 AM #

    If you want to know what the 1973 violations were, go to the NCAA’s major infractions database.

    http://www.ncaa.org/wps/portal/home?WCM_GLOBAL_CONTEXT=/wps/wcm/connect/NCAA/Legislation%20and%20Governance/Compliance/Major%20Infractions/major_infractions.html

    Look it up and read the report. It’s not a secret. If we make it another two years, this will be the first decade since WWII where we weren’t on probation.

    Who cares? The NCAA doesn’t care about cheating. Why should anyone else?

    Also, how do you list the 1973 team ahead of the Tulane team in the mid-80s with Hot Rod Williams? Or the Northwestern squad that got busted for point shaving? Or any of the Dixie Classic teams that got busted?

    Hell, the team with Jackie Moreland was dirtier than the 1973 team.

  19. wufpup76 03/18/2009 at 12:26 PM #

    “So is a conspiracy theory still a theory when there is evidence that supports it’s existence?”

    ^Quite a conundrum.

  20. smile102 03/18/2009 at 5:58 PM #

    WHERAS, the Council has found North Carolina State University to have violated the provisions governing recruiting [NCAA Bylaw l-l-(a)], in that:

    1. While working at a summer job during the period July 31 – August 6, 1971, a prospective student-athlete stayed cost-free in a University dormitory room which was utilized at that time to house counselors in the summer basketball camp operated by the University’s head basketball coach.

    2. On August 6, 1971, a prospective student-athlete was transported cost-free from the University’s campus (site of a summer camp) to his hometown in an automobile used in the summer basketball camp operated by the University’s head basketball coach.

    WHEREAS, the Council has found North Carolina State University to have violated the provisions governing recruiting [NCAA Bylaws l-l-(a) and 1-3], in that:

    1. During the summer 1970, three prospective student-athletes served as counselors in the summer basketball camp operated by the University’s head basketball coach; these three young men had just completed their senior years in high school and therefore were ineligible to serve as counselors under the Association’s summer camp interpretations;

    WHEREAS, the Council has found North Carolina State University to have violated the provisions governing recruiting [NCAA Bylaws l-l-(a), l-5-(b) and l-5-(c)], in that:

    1. On June 13, 1971, a prospective student-athlete was transported to the University’s campus by a representative of the University’s athletic interests in order to attend freshman orientation. This was the second visit at the expense of a University athletic representative. After it was determined that he was not eligible for the orientation, he remained on the campus for five days staying cost-free in a dormitory room which was utilized at that time to house counselors in the summer basketball camp operated by the University’s head basketball coach.

    WHEREAS, the Council has found North Carolina State University to have violated the provisions governing recruiting [NCAA Bylaws l-5-(b) and l-1-(h)], in that:

    1. During August 1970, a representative of the University’s athletic interests transported a prospective student-athlete between his home and the institution’s campus, and was reimbursed by the University for the cost of this transportation.

    2. During May 1971, a representative of the University’s athletic interests transported three prospective student-athletes between their homes and the institution’s campus, and was reimbursed by the University for the cost of this transportation.

    WHEREAS, the Council has found North Carolina State University to have violated the provisions governing recruiting [NCAA Bylaw 1-3], in that:

    1. During the period August 1-6, 1971, an assistant basketball coach participated in at least one informal basketball game with five prospective student-athletes during which these young men revealed, demonstrated and displayed their abilities in the sport of basketball,

    WHEREAS, the Council has found North Carolina State University to have violated the provisions governing recruiting [NCAA Bylaw l-6-(a)], in that:

    1. During the summer 1970, the University awarded financial assistance to two prospective student-athletes in order for the young men to attend the second session of the institution’s summer school.

  21. highstick 03/18/2009 at 6:41 PM #

    Noah, did you have to enter a user name and password to get into the database? I’ll go back and look, but didn’t see a way to register.

    My first thoughts too were why were the teams involved with “point shaving during the Dixie Classics which includes the Tarholes, Doug Moe, Lou Brown” were notoriously omitted. I guess that was before Dean was there and they started doing things “the Carolina Way”.

    It’s a shame Lefty and Dean didn’t get to “go at it” a bit more. Sooner or later, both of them would have ended up on probation.

  22. highstick 03/18/2009 at 6:43 PM #

    Found the registration process, but don’t have an .edu email address. Really would like to go through that database though.

  23. Noah 03/18/2009 at 7:28 PM #

    Go to ncaa.org. mouse over legislation and governance. Choose compliance. Go down to Major Infractions. Go to Major Infractions Database. Click on SEARCH and then MAJOR INFRACTIONS. You have to spell out the name of the school, but they prompt you as you type.

    You don’t have to sign in.

  24. BoKnowsNCS71 03/19/2009 at 9:02 AM #

    Slanderous.

  25. john of sparta 03/20/2009 at 5:51 PM #

    1. if you ain’t cheatin’….blahblahblahNASCAR.
    2. Len holds a grudge…everyone has one.
    3. it’s a conspiracy when it happens.
    NOT until it’s recognized.
    NOT until it’s proven.
    NOT until it’s news.

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