UConn submits self-imposed penalties to NCAA

that the men’s basketball program committed numerous NCAA violations, some of which could be considered severe due to Kevin Ollie’s “cavalier attitude towards compliance,” UConn has submitted a number of self-imposed penalties to the NCAA.

The penalties are as follows:

⏩ Limiting the number of permissible grants-in-aid to 12 for the 2019-20 academic year (reduction of one).

⏩ Imposing a one-week ban on unofficial visits during the 2018-2019 academic year.

⏩ Imposing a one-week ban on recruiting communications during the 2018-2019 academic year.

⏩ Reducing by one the number of allowable official visits during the 2018-19 academic year.

⏩ Reducing by four the number of allowable recruiting person days (RPD) during the 2018-19 academic year (maximum of 126 RPD to be allowed).

⏩ Proposing the payment of a $5,000 fine.

⏩ Prohibiting the recruitment of a prospective studentathlete (recruited in football) in all sports. ⏩ Prohibiting student-managers from attending pick-up basketball games involving men’s basketball studentathletes during the non-championship season (8-hour weeks) during the 2018-19 academic year; and

⏩ Providing violation-specific rules education.

UConn also noted that Ollie was terminated from his employment after it was determined he had committed serious infractions and been “less-than-truthful” with investigators and the school. None of his staff is currently employed at the school.

Whether or not the NCAA accepts these penalties on face value remains to be seen. The NCAA Committee on Infractions can still add additional penalties, if it sees fit.

“Our athletics department recognizes its responsibility to promote an atmosphere of honesty and integrity as it relates to NCAA compliance and beyond,” athletic director David Benedict said in a statement. “We take these

allegations very seriously and will continue to fully cooperate with the NCAA throughout this process with an anticipated end date of mid-2019.”

“I understand the decision by our athletic administration to impose these penalties,” head coach Dan Hurley said in a statement. “We have been preparing for this eventuality and will make the necessary adjustments to move forward.”

In a document sent to the NCAA and released to the media on Friday evening, UConn said it regrets the violations that were revealed during an investigation that began over a year ago (first reported by Hearst Connecticut Media) and led to Ollie’s firing on March 10, 2018. Hurley was hired two weeks later.

The school accepts responsibility

for the actions of Ollie and his former staff, but maintains that there is no evidence that it knew or should have known about the violations, and hence is not guilty of a failure to monitor or other institutional charges.

Among the allegations UConn admits to are those related to the recruitment of Hamadou Diallo, whose name is redacted in the document. Specifically, the school admits that Ollie planned and arranged a FaceTime call between Diallo and former UConn superstars Ray Allen and Rudy Gay, both of whom are considered representatives of the school’s athletic interests.

According to UConn, evidence revealed that Ollie set up the conversation with Allen at a team party at Ollie’s Glastonbury home. The calls were made in a separate room away from the rest of the party, and were made on the iPad of Larib Omara-Otunnu,

Ollie’s special assistant, so that they wouldn’t appear on Ollie’s institutional iPhone or other devices that the compliance office associated with Ollie.

Ollie said the call was initiated by Allen, simply to wish him a “Merry Christmas,” but gave no explanation why it was placed via OmaraOtunnu’s iPad. Ollie denied the call with Gay occurred.

Because this appears to be an intentional violation on Ollie’s part, UConn concludes that the Committee on Infractions could find this constitutes a Level II infraction.

The school also admits that Derek Hamilton, a professional basketball trainer and friend of Ollie, provided extra benefits to three UConn players (one of whom is still at the school) in the spring and summer of 2016. This included free training sessions in Atlanta in May, 2016, meals and lodging at Hamilton’s

home and, on at least one occasion, use of his personal vehicle.

Other violations include improper contact between former UConn player Boo Willingham and Diallo; Ollie improperly shooting free throws with a prospective recruit on campus; impermissible meals and game tickets to recruits and more.

As with most of the violations, UConn noted that Ollie’s knowledge that they occurred, attempts to cover them up and untruthful testimony to investigators makes them more severe than they otherwise may have been. But the school believes that since it has displayed “exemplary cooperation” with NCAA investigators, even uncovering social media photographs and website information relating to Hamilton, it should not be punished severely.

Benedict

Ollie