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NCAA metes out justice to Michigan
By LARRY LAGE
AP Sports Writer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — The seven-year saga involving Michigan booster Ed
Martin and the Wolverines' basketball program is over.
Almost.
The Wolverines were barred from the next postseason and put on probation for
3 years by the NCAA on Thursday for Martin's payments to players dating to
the Fab Five era.
The team also will lose one of its 13 annual scholarships for four years,
beginning in 2004-05.
Last year, Michigan imposed self-imposed sanctions, including holding itself
out of the NCAA tournament. The NCAA committee on infractions called the
school's penalties ``meaningful'' but not enough.
The story and the scandal would now be over, but Michigan decided Thursday
to appeal the NCAA's postseason ban. The school expects to have a decision
on the appeal this fall.
``I don't think the cloud hangs any longer because I see the sunshine,''
Michigan president Mary Sue Coleman said. ``We're moving forward with a
great program, but we're taking this last step because we owe it to our
current players and program.
I asked myself, `How long do they have to pay (for improper conduct) that
they had nothing do with?' It's a legitimate concern because a central
tenant of the NCAA is that there be fairness in penalties imposed and the
question we'll be asking is, `Is this fair?' We (would) just like another
committee to look at it.''
As grounds for the appeal, school administrators cited an NCAA bylaw that
states, ``An important consideration in imposing penalties is to provide
fairness to uninvolved student-athletes, coaches ...''
The involvement Michigan had with the now-deceased Martin came to light
after a rollover accident on Feb. 17, 1996.
Maurice Taylor, a current Houston Rocket, crashed his truck during Mateen
Cleaves' official recruiting visit while they were returning from a party in
Detroit. Cleaves ended up leading Michigan State to the 2000 national
championship.
When Michigan learned that Cleaves' recruiting visit included a visit to
Martin's house, the school began to investigate his ties to the basketball
program.
After pleading guilty a year ago to conspiracy to launder money, Martin told
the federal government that he lent $616,000 to current Sacramento Kings
star Chris Webber, Taylor, Robert Traylor and Louis Bullock. Taylor plays
for the Charlotte Hornets and Bullock is playing professionally in Europe.
``This is one of the most egregious violations of NCAA laws in the history
of the organization,'' NCAA Committee on Infractions chairman Thomas Yeager
said. ``The reputation of the university, the student-athletes and the coach
as a result of the basketball team's accomplishments from 1992 through 1998
were a sham.''
Martin said he gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to former Wolverines
basketball players while they were in high school and college. He died in
February — on the same day Michigan officials met with the infractions
committee.
Michigan hoped the NCAA would accept its self-imposed sanctions, including
the removal of four banners from Crisler Arena and any pictures, words or
records in printed materials involving Webber, Taylor, Traylor and Bullock;
forfeits of 112 regular-season and tournament victories from five seasons,
plus its victory in the 1992 NCAA semifinals; the return of $450,000 to the
NCAA from tarnished postseason appearances.
The NCAA penalties include a directive that the university must disassociate
itself from Webber, Taylor, Traylor and Bullock for 10 years. Michigan
can'taccept contributions from the four former players, ask them to help
recruit or provide them with any benefits or privileges.
``I will always pull for Michigan,'' Webber said Thursday night before
playing and being hurt against Dallas in Game 2 of the Western Conference
semifinals. ``I didn't do anything, so I don't feel sorry for them. I don't
really know what to say.''
Webber is to face trial in July on charges of obstruction of justice and
lying to a federal grand jury about Martin.
``There's a whole trial left to determine what happened,'' Webber said.
Michigan's woes extended to the court early last season, with the first 0-6
start in school history. But then the Wolverines won 13 straight games for
the first time since 1987-88 and it started 6-0 in the Big Ten.
Michigan finished tied for third in the conference with Michigan State and
Purdue, which both made the NCAA tournament.
The NCAA would allow rising senior Bernard Robinson to leave for another
school without sitting out for his final season, but the forward is not
expected to transfer.
``When Coach (Tommy Amaker) said we had an opportunity to leave and play
somewhere else he was the first one to say he was staying,'' sophomore guard
Daniel Horton said of Robinson.
``He said he was not going anywhere and that there is no sense in whining
and crying about it because we have been here before. We had this meeting
last year and there were a lot of tears last year. ... Nobody was crying
about this Wednesday night.''
Copyright 2003
Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bonesville.net contributed to this
report.
02/23/2007 11:03:09 AM
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