Commission hopes to move fast on reforms
SAN ANTONIO — The Commission on College Basketball that was formed last fall in the wake of the corruption scandal engulfing the sport is scheduled to present its recommendations for reforms to the NCAA Board of Governors on April 25, NCAA President Mark Emmert said Thursday.
The hope is that those recommendations will trigger a fastbreak toward meaningful change.
“We understand the severity of the challenges that we face,” said Eric Kaler, president of the University of Minnesota and chair of the Division I Board of Directors. “We understand the urgency with which we need to act to move forward rule changes that will be effective for the next season.”
Possible reforms could involve stronger sanctions against coaches found to engage in unethical behavior and tighter regulation of summer club tournaments. Fundamentally changing the structure of the amateurism model probably isn’t an option.
Emmert saluted the ability of McDonald’s All-American Darius Bazley to back out of a commitment to Syracuse in order to play in the G League so that he could be paid for his skills before reaching the NBA.
“I think that’s a choice that ought to be available to him and anyone else,” Emmert said. “… Now, I happen to think that going to college and experiencing everything that a college has to offer and still developing your skills and abilities as an athlete is a pretty good deal. It’s hard to find better coaches, better facilities, better training, better development as an athlete than in a high-quality college program.
“But that doesn’t mean that’s the right choice for everybody.”
Regrets department
Virginia coach Tony Bennett ignited a hearty round of laughter after accepting the Associated Press national coach of the year award.
“I thought it was for the NCAA tournament coach of the year,” Bennett cracked. “I didn’t get that? I wasn’t sure.”
Bennett famously guided the Cavaliers to a schoolrecord 31 victories and the Atlantic Coast Conference championship before they became the first top-seeded team to lose in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Bennett said a text from guard Ty Jerome helped commence the healing after the historic upset by Maryland Baltimore County.
“He said, ‘Coach, this is now part of our story, and we get to respond to it the way we want,’ ” Bennett said. “‘And it will be day by day where we can make the right steps.’ ”
Bennett said he was evaluating possible adjustments “because the NCAA tournament comes down to matchups, who is playing well, what kind of style they play and you have to be able to play well against different kinds of styles. That’s what I think you have to keep addressing and adjusting in preparing your team to be as good as they can.”
His No. 1 fan
The Final Four could involve a reunion between Kansas center Udoka Azubuike and his mother, Florence, who has not seen her son in nearly six years.
The NCAA helped pay for Florence to travel from her home in Nigeria. The expenses were the least of the family’s worries.
“We had to go through political people to deal with their embassy in Nigeria for the passport but also to set up a meeting to get a visa,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.
Florence Azubuike had to fly to another city in Nigeria to obtain the visa and was scheduled to arrive in San Antonio before Kansas’ game Saturday against Villanova. She had allowed her son to leave home and live with a host family in Florida after her husband died.
Udoka said he expected it to be an emotional reunion because his mother has never seen him play. “Can you imagine, you’ve never seen your son play basketball and the first time you do it is in front of 70,000 people at this thing?” Self said. “I can’t even imagine what’s going to be going through her mind.”
Etc.
Unlike the 2008 Final Four, when the court was placed on one side of the Alamodome, it has been positioned in the middle of the arena. That will allow attendance to increase from around 45,000 to roughly 69,000. … Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball, said 96% of tickets were sold from the First Four games in Dayton, Ohio, through the regionals last weekend.