The Commercial Appeal and several online sources are reporting that the NCAA will strip the Memphis Tigers of their NCAA-record 38 wins during the 2007-2008 season.
The NCAA plans an announcement of its decision today at 2:00 p.m. The University of Memphis will hold a subsequent press conference at 3:30 p.m.\at the Mike Rose Theater. It can be viewed on either the University’s website, www.memphis.edu, or the athletics department website, www.gotigersgo.com.
The NCAA was investigating whether someone took the SAT exam for Derrick Rose, the Tigers’ star guard on its Final Four team, and also looking into allegations of improper use of travel perks.
The Tigers set an NCAA record for victories that season, going 38-2, losing only to Tennessee during the regular season and to Kansas in the championship game. The Associated Press quoted former Tiger coach John Calipari as saying he would be “disappointed” if the NCAA stripped the Tigers’ victories. As might be expected, University of Kentucky officials, who hired Calipari as coach this spring, expressed support for their coach and confidence in his non-involvement in the Memphis violations.
If the NCAA strips the U of M of its Final Four appearance, it would be the second such action taken against a Calipari-coached team, leading to a fresh one-liner now making the rounds of the blogosphere: “John Calipari is the only coach ever to have taken his teams to two Final Threes.”
Badabump.
— BV
