WACO, Texas — Less than a week after its women’s basketball team won the national championship, Baylor said Monday it has been involved in a three-year investigation with the NCAA into what are believed to be hundreds of impermissible phone
Report: Baylor exceeds
limits on calls, texts
WACO, Texas — Less than a week after its women’s basketball team won the national championship, Baylor said Monday it has been involved in a three-year investigation with the NCAA into what are believed to be hundreds of impermissible phone calls and text messages sent by coaches to young prospects.
The school did not describe any details of the investigation, including which sports were involved, but the announcement came a few hours after ESPN.com reported that coaches for both the men’s and women’s basketball programs had made more than 1,200 calls and text messages to prospects over a 29-month span dating to 2008. ESPN.com cited an NCAA report it had obtained.
The NCAA may dole out harsher punishment than what is listed in the report, which details a number of self-imposed penalties including barring women’s coach Kim Mulkey from recruiting off campus in July and fewer scholarships for both programs.
Nick Joos, Baylor’s executive associate athletic director for external affairs, said the school had not received notice of a “final decision” from the infractions committee.
“Regarding today’s premature public reports of the matter, the institution remains committed to protecting the integrity of the totality of the case in accordance with its obligations under NCAA legislation and, therefore, the university, and its officials, will make no comment,” Joos said.
NCAA president Mark Emmert said the NCAA would not comment on the case because it’s still under review.
“However, each member agrees to abide by the rules established by the association and our membership expects those who do not follow the rules will be held accountable,” he said in a statement.
Odom done playing for Mavericks
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks and Lamar Odom are done with each other.
The NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year and the defending NBA champions who are trying to make sure they get back to the playoffs made it clear Monday that the partnership is over after an underwhelming 50-game stint.
“We’ve got to be able to look down that bench and count on folks to be consistent,” general manager Donnie Nelson said. “Unfortunately with him in his state right now, he’s just not capable of doing that. I say that with his best interest in mind. He’s going through a very, very tough personal time. We certainly understand that. But we’re in the thick of it in the West and we’ve got to win games.”
Odom will be on the inactive list and not play again for the Mavericks, who were seventh in the Western Conference standings with nine games left in the regular season.
Even when wife and reality TV co-star Khloe Kardashian was in the stands near the Mavericks bench, Odom never seemed happy or comfortable in Dallas. His averages of 6.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 20.5 minutes were career lows, and he was booed by the home crowd as the sluggish performances multiplied.
Odom agreed with Nelson that it was a mutual decision for him to step away from the team.
By wire sources
