Kansas Basketball Scandals
I found this on tRCMB but this details the issues and shadiness of KU Basketball.
2003
After going on national television and proclaiming “I don’t give a **** about North Carolina, Roy Williams in a surprise move takes the knife which he has used to stab anyone in reach in the back with the last 10 years and plunges it squarely in KU fans hearts - proclaiming the KU head coaching job to be a stepping stone job by leaving for North Carolina, just as his predecessor did. Tears are shed by all parties.
In an ironic twist of fate, after being chastised by KU fans for coaching a brand of basketball that is a disgrace to the game and not really basketball while hammering KU out of the 2001 NCAA tournament, Bill Self leaves Illinois and is introduced as Kansas basketball coach
Darnell Jackson becomes Self’s first commit to Kansas as after receiving over $5,000 in improper benefits during his recruitment.
2004
Departing players receive customary graduation checks from appreciative boosters. Team sets off on illegally organized barnstorming tour where they receive the gate money to supplement their income.
Omar Wilkes and David Padgett announce they are transferring from Kansas basketball program.
Kurtis Townsend hired as assistant basketball coach. Townsend’s experience includes being a member of the staff at California (1993-1997) during one of the largest NCAA recruiting violation investigations in history which landed the school on 3 years probation.
Julian Wright commits to Kansas without ever visiting campus. Wright, who had previously eliminated Kansas from his list apparently and inexplicably changed his mind and committed on the spot during a Self and Townsend in-home visit. Scheduled visits to various other schools are abruptly cancelled.
Townsend brings along recruit CJ Giles, who had followed the assistant from his time at USC, then signed a LOI at Miami when Townsend took a job there. When Townsend was added to the ku staff, Giles again switched courses and became a jayhawk. Perhaps not surprisingly, Rodrick Stewart, another one of Townsend’s former players and recruits, transfers to Kansas from USC, see the following article for explanation:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/cbasketball/176969_locke09.html
2005
Departing players receive customary graduation checks from appreciative boosters. Team sets off on illegally organized barnstorming tour where they receive the gate money to supplement their income.
Alex Galindo and Nick Bahe announce they are transferring from Kansas basketball program.
Only 300 fans show up for Kansas basketball awards ceremony. Majority of seating for 2,024 remains empty; “The ones who didn't show up can sit behind their desk, their computers or whatever and complain till next season," said always-quotable Keith Langford.
Highly publicized bar fight involving starting guard J.R. Giddens occurs. Multiple witnesses report that Giddens was the primary instigator in an attack that saw 10-12 people beat Olathe resident Jeremiah Creswell with fists, bricks and bottles. Saying he was trying to defend himself, Creswell brandished a knife and stabbed Giddens and four others. Witnesses said KU forward C.J. Giles also threw a punch and tossed bricks at Creswell as he lay defenseless on the ground getting stomped.
At some point in June, Kansas athletic department receives anonymous tip regarding improprieties centering around J.R. Giddens and NCAA recruiting violations.
Ronnie Chalmers, previously a high school coach in Alaska with only 5 years of experience, but more importantly, recruit Mario Chalmers’ father, is announced as Director of Kansas Basketball Operations. His son also amazingly elects to come to Lawrence in a surely unrelated occurance.
Keith Langford and Aaron Miles, never able to adjust to Bill Self’s slow and methodical hi-low offense, go undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft
Known for his lack of sportsmanship as well as being on scholarship despite stealing felony amounts of merchandise from Wal-Mart, J.R. Giddens develops into a one dimensional player and thus becomes expendable given all the off the court issues he brings to the table. Giddens announces he is leaving the Kansas basketball program under request from Self to get a fresh start elsewhere. It also alleviates Lawrence Police from having to apply any charges against him from his assault.
Giddens states, “I’m not saying Kansas threw me out like a battery. But they get McDonald’s All-Americans every day. They weren’t going to let me stay around campus and be Moulaye Niang. Bill Self used to always tell me, “Micah is coming in and he's better than you.” He would just say little stuff like that and I was like, “Dang, man, you’re not even for me, are you?” I wanted to stay at Kansas but I felt like they just pushed me out the door. I'm sitting here worrying if I'm ever play basketball again and you guys are over here talking to me in an inappropriate manner? I'm 19 years old. You guys are supposed to my college coaches. Bill Self was telling my teammates not to have any contact with me. Darnell Jackson and Jeremy Case were two of my best friends, and they weren’t even allowed to talk to me. That was very kind of Kansas basketball and Bill Self, to tell people to stay away from me like I was a team cancer.”
With only walkon Christian Moody ever avging more than 1 rebound a game at the D1 level as returning players, CJ Giles receives no similar treatment and remains on KU’s team by necessity.
Among other undisclosed violations and disclosed violations, such as the discovery of massive and rampant academic fraud within ku’ football program, kansas announces that it also discovered that its basketball staff had traditionally engaged in a practice of allowing monetary payments to graduating players and other Jayhawk players who had exhausted their eligibility by boosters in violation of NCAA rules. A self-imposed two year probation is levied against their athletic department. Other sanctions are levied against women’s basketball and men’s football. Curiously, men’s basketball escapes all (self-imposed) punishment.
Rodrick Stewart suffers gash on head after getting having a bottle smashed over his head during a fight at a Lawrence, Kansas bar.
Not exactly clear when, but Brandon Rush commits to Kansas basketball program. Rush narrowed his college choices to Illinois and Oklahoma, when Missouri would no longer offer a scholarship and their AD blocked allowing him to walk on due to too many potential off the court issues. Then he couldn't qualify at Illinois. Then he couldn't qualify at Oklahoma. Rush decided he would have to enter the draft straight from high school as he couldn't qualify at a D1 university, except it looked as though he wouldn't be a first round selection, something his brother had already had happen to him. His older brothers talked him out of it. Two weeks after school started he got into KU and began taking classes, and even though he at times carried a 0.0 GPA in high school at Westport managed to get a 3.6 at KU while missing the first two weeks of classes. This strangely coincided with the same time frame which their compliance department was noted to be severely understaffed and inadequate by the NCAA and academic fraud was occurring.
Sherron Collins commits to Kansas amidst various media reports that he was steered by his coach/street pimp Anthony Longstreet, considered by Chicago Public League coaches as the new Landon “Sonny” Cox for his ability to recruit players to Crane. Scheduled visits promised to various other schools are abruptly cancelled. Afterward, Longstreet, without being prompted or even accused of taking money, bizarrely challenged local sportswriters to “get the proof, produce the canceled check.'' Thereafter, Longstreet refused to ever speak again on the subject. He explained, "Right now, I've been told to be quiet because this stuff is getting too ugly.”
Darnell Jackson ruled ineligible by NCAA Eligibility Committee for 9 games for receipt of $5,000 in benefits from a Kansas booster over a three year period while being recruited by Kansas. Apparently the NCAA feels 9 games seems rather sufficient and ignores their prior precedence of treatment for lesser offenses.
A cbssportsline.com article suggests that J.R. Giddens is also ultimately wrapped up in the Darnell Jackson scandal, questioning: “Did Don Davis also have a "relationship" with Jackson's best friend and former AAU teammate, J.R. Giddens, the McDonald's All-American who signed with Kansas in 2003? Because if the answer is yes, Kansas has a big, big, big problem.”
I found this on tRCMB but this details the issues and shadiness of KU Basketball.
2003
After going on national television and proclaiming “I don’t give a **** about North Carolina, Roy Williams in a surprise move takes the knife which he has used to stab anyone in reach in the back with the last 10 years and plunges it squarely in KU fans hearts - proclaiming the KU head coaching job to be a stepping stone job by leaving for North Carolina, just as his predecessor did. Tears are shed by all parties.
In an ironic twist of fate, after being chastised by KU fans for coaching a brand of basketball that is a disgrace to the game and not really basketball while hammering KU out of the 2001 NCAA tournament, Bill Self leaves Illinois and is introduced as Kansas basketball coach
Darnell Jackson becomes Self’s first commit to Kansas as after receiving over $5,000 in improper benefits during his recruitment.
2004
Departing players receive customary graduation checks from appreciative boosters. Team sets off on illegally organized barnstorming tour where they receive the gate money to supplement their income.
Omar Wilkes and David Padgett announce they are transferring from Kansas basketball program.
Kurtis Townsend hired as assistant basketball coach. Townsend’s experience includes being a member of the staff at California (1993-1997) during one of the largest NCAA recruiting violation investigations in history which landed the school on 3 years probation.
Julian Wright commits to Kansas without ever visiting campus. Wright, who had previously eliminated Kansas from his list apparently and inexplicably changed his mind and committed on the spot during a Self and Townsend in-home visit. Scheduled visits to various other schools are abruptly cancelled.
Townsend brings along recruit CJ Giles, who had followed the assistant from his time at USC, then signed a LOI at Miami when Townsend took a job there. When Townsend was added to the ku staff, Giles again switched courses and became a jayhawk. Perhaps not surprisingly, Rodrick Stewart, another one of Townsend’s former players and recruits, transfers to Kansas from USC, see the following article for explanation:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/cbasketball/176969_locke09.html
2005
Departing players receive customary graduation checks from appreciative boosters. Team sets off on illegally organized barnstorming tour where they receive the gate money to supplement their income.
Alex Galindo and Nick Bahe announce they are transferring from Kansas basketball program.
Only 300 fans show up for Kansas basketball awards ceremony. Majority of seating for 2,024 remains empty; “The ones who didn't show up can sit behind their desk, their computers or whatever and complain till next season," said always-quotable Keith Langford.
Highly publicized bar fight involving starting guard J.R. Giddens occurs. Multiple witnesses report that Giddens was the primary instigator in an attack that saw 10-12 people beat Olathe resident Jeremiah Creswell with fists, bricks and bottles. Saying he was trying to defend himself, Creswell brandished a knife and stabbed Giddens and four others. Witnesses said KU forward C.J. Giles also threw a punch and tossed bricks at Creswell as he lay defenseless on the ground getting stomped.
At some point in June, Kansas athletic department receives anonymous tip regarding improprieties centering around J.R. Giddens and NCAA recruiting violations.
Ronnie Chalmers, previously a high school coach in Alaska with only 5 years of experience, but more importantly, recruit Mario Chalmers’ father, is announced as Director of Kansas Basketball Operations. His son also amazingly elects to come to Lawrence in a surely unrelated occurance.
Keith Langford and Aaron Miles, never able to adjust to Bill Self’s slow and methodical hi-low offense, go undrafted in the 2005 NBA draft
Known for his lack of sportsmanship as well as being on scholarship despite stealing felony amounts of merchandise from Wal-Mart, J.R. Giddens develops into a one dimensional player and thus becomes expendable given all the off the court issues he brings to the table. Giddens announces he is leaving the Kansas basketball program under request from Self to get a fresh start elsewhere. It also alleviates Lawrence Police from having to apply any charges against him from his assault.
Giddens states, “I’m not saying Kansas threw me out like a battery. But they get McDonald’s All-Americans every day. They weren’t going to let me stay around campus and be Moulaye Niang. Bill Self used to always tell me, “Micah is coming in and he's better than you.” He would just say little stuff like that and I was like, “Dang, man, you’re not even for me, are you?” I wanted to stay at Kansas but I felt like they just pushed me out the door. I'm sitting here worrying if I'm ever play basketball again and you guys are over here talking to me in an inappropriate manner? I'm 19 years old. You guys are supposed to my college coaches. Bill Self was telling my teammates not to have any contact with me. Darnell Jackson and Jeremy Case were two of my best friends, and they weren’t even allowed to talk to me. That was very kind of Kansas basketball and Bill Self, to tell people to stay away from me like I was a team cancer.”
With only walkon Christian Moody ever avging more than 1 rebound a game at the D1 level as returning players, CJ Giles receives no similar treatment and remains on KU’s team by necessity.
Among other undisclosed violations and disclosed violations, such as the discovery of massive and rampant academic fraud within ku’ football program, kansas announces that it also discovered that its basketball staff had traditionally engaged in a practice of allowing monetary payments to graduating players and other Jayhawk players who had exhausted their eligibility by boosters in violation of NCAA rules. A self-imposed two year probation is levied against their athletic department. Other sanctions are levied against women’s basketball and men’s football. Curiously, men’s basketball escapes all (self-imposed) punishment.
Rodrick Stewart suffers gash on head after getting having a bottle smashed over his head during a fight at a Lawrence, Kansas bar.
Not exactly clear when, but Brandon Rush commits to Kansas basketball program. Rush narrowed his college choices to Illinois and Oklahoma, when Missouri would no longer offer a scholarship and their AD blocked allowing him to walk on due to too many potential off the court issues. Then he couldn't qualify at Illinois. Then he couldn't qualify at Oklahoma. Rush decided he would have to enter the draft straight from high school as he couldn't qualify at a D1 university, except it looked as though he wouldn't be a first round selection, something his brother had already had happen to him. His older brothers talked him out of it. Two weeks after school started he got into KU and began taking classes, and even though he at times carried a 0.0 GPA in high school at Westport managed to get a 3.6 at KU while missing the first two weeks of classes. This strangely coincided with the same time frame which their compliance department was noted to be severely understaffed and inadequate by the NCAA and academic fraud was occurring.
Sherron Collins commits to Kansas amidst various media reports that he was steered by his coach/street pimp Anthony Longstreet, considered by Chicago Public League coaches as the new Landon “Sonny” Cox for his ability to recruit players to Crane. Scheduled visits promised to various other schools are abruptly cancelled. Afterward, Longstreet, without being prompted or even accused of taking money, bizarrely challenged local sportswriters to “get the proof, produce the canceled check.'' Thereafter, Longstreet refused to ever speak again on the subject. He explained, "Right now, I've been told to be quiet because this stuff is getting too ugly.”
Darnell Jackson ruled ineligible by NCAA Eligibility Committee for 9 games for receipt of $5,000 in benefits from a Kansas booster over a three year period while being recruited by Kansas. Apparently the NCAA feels 9 games seems rather sufficient and ignores their prior precedence of treatment for lesser offenses.
A cbssportsline.com article suggests that J.R. Giddens is also ultimately wrapped up in the Darnell Jackson scandal, questioning: “Did Don Davis also have a "relationship" with Jackson's best friend and former AAU teammate, J.R. Giddens, the McDonald's All-American who signed with Kansas in 2003? Because if the answer is yes, Kansas has a big, big, big problem.”