In what has been a rare plus for the South Carolina men’s basketball team this season, the school announced today that the NCAA investigation started three years ago is over – and more importantly, without further punishment.
Gamecocks, along with a Division I program package that even included some bluebloods, were caught in what was initially an FBI investigation into bribery and other disgusting recruitment tactics. South Carolina’s involvement was limited to the actions of former technical assistant Lamont Evans – who, fortunately, had already left Columbia University for Oklahoma State when the allegations surfaced. Evans was accused of accepting money to drive Final Four point guard and star PJ Dozier to a specific sports agency, but the school argued that it had no idea that such negotiations were taking place, nor did Dozier appear to accept money for himself.
Fortunately, the NCAA agreed. Immediately after the allegations, South Carolina preemptively slapped itself with parole, fines and reduced recruitment visits, and it was a punishment that the NCAA saw no need to adjust – meaning no post-season bans, no unoccupied appearances by the Final Four, and without losing scholarships, which were the nervous fan’s worst nightmares.
Here is an interesting nugget from Post and Courier’s David Cloninger, who shared some ideas about athletic director Ray Tanner:
Ray Tanner had an instrumental role in working with the NCAA on that. His committee visited Indy to discuss that USC could not be held responsible.
Who knows what the NCAA would have done without it? OK State has been banned from the postseason without visiting (they are attractive). https://t.co/yUwkhd7cfs
– David Cloninger (@DCPandC) February 25, 2021
Will this get fans off Tanner’s back? Probably not! But it is still a good thing to hear.
In the end, that was the conclusion that should have been reached. He was clearly a dishonest assistant coach and not a systemic problem for the program, and it also involved the future of a current NBA player, as opposed to South Carolina’s attempt to get a high school recruit. The NCAA is hardly predictable or fair, however, this result should be celebrated. Wow.