No postseason for Fresno
By Brian Skoloff
Associated Press
FRESNO, Calif. — Fresno State President John D. Welty announced yesterday the men's basketball team will not be eligible for postseason play this year after school officials confirmed allegations of academic fraud.
The self-imposed penalty means this year's Western Athletic Conference championship team will not compete in the NCAA Tournament or the National Invitation Tournament, university spokesman Tom Uribes said.
The WAC has yet to decide whether the team will be allowed to play in its tournament, which begins March 11.
"I regret that this severe action will affect student-athletes, staff and coaches who were utterly unconnected to the problem," Welty said. "However, it is important that this institution guarantee its academic integrity. We simply will not tolerate academic misconduct in any form."
In mid-February, former basketball team statistician Stephen Mintz said he was enlisted to take part in a scheme to write papers in exchange for cash for three members of the school's basketball team during the 1999-2000 season under former coach Jerry Tarkanian.
Welty promised an investigation and yesterday announced that most of the allegations were true.
"While I regret having to take an action that is so hurtful to our current team, it is consistent with NCAA precedent and I believe it is in the best long-term interest of the basketball program and the university," Welty said.
"Doing it now puts our program in the best possible position to enter next year with a clean slate," Welty added. "Most importantly, it demonstrates to the NCAA that we are dealing with this problem in the most serious manner."
Mintz told The Fresno Bee in February that he wrote and delivered 17 pieces of course work in 2000 for three players — Courtney Alexander, Terrance Roberson and Dennis Nathan — and was paid $1,500 for his work.
Alexander, who now plays for the New Orleans Hornets, faxed a statement to a Fresno television station after Mintz went public with the charges in February.
"I categorically deny that Mr. Mintz ever wrote a paper for me," the statement said. "All he did was type papers for me, for which he was fairly compensated. (Mintz) obviously is trying to make a name for himself at my expense."
University spokesman Mark Aydelotte said Mintz's charges have "been largely confirmed."
Aydelotte said the school would not be more specific about which allegations were confirmed until the NCAA's investigation is complete.
Telephone messages left with New Orleans Hornets officials were not immediately returned.
Calls to Tarkanian's home were unanswered.
The joint school-NCAA investigation into alleged academic fraud has been ongoing for several years after allegations were made privately by several people, Aydelotte said.
He said Mintz was the first person to go public with the charges.
"That allowed the university to fill in some gaps that we weren't able to do before because people weren't talking," Aydelotte said.
Despite yesterday's announcement, the NCAA may impose even more severe penalties once its investigation is complete.
In December, Fresno State put its basketball team and athletics department on probation for two years for numerous NCAA rules violations that included payments from agents to players.
Welty said then that the probation was in response to problems in other sports that included major violations and judgment errors.
Most of the violations were discovered by the university and turned over to the NCAA, which found additional violations.
There were eligibility infractions in men's soccer and basketball, in which players didn't meet the grade requirements to compete. Women's basketball committed a recruiting violation by tutoring a player and using staff to provide transportation.
The NCAA has not released its findings yet.
