UPDATE: The AP is reporting via WRAL that UNC WR Greg Little will not travel to Atlanta for the season opening game vs LSU. No real surprise here considering Little’s connection to the seemingly eternal investigation into agent contact with UNC players. There are also rumors that Little is a part of the academic probe as well.
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The first shoe in the NCAA’s investigation into potential improper contact with agents by players at UNC, South Carolina, and Alabama has dropped as Alabama’s Marcell Dareus has been suspended for two games by the NCAA and ordered to repay $1700 and change to a charity of his choice.
According to NCAA guidelines, improper benefits of that amount should have resulted in a four-game suspension, but mitigating circumstances reduced the penalty by half. Alabama coach Nick Saban has indicated the Tide will appeal to try and get the suspension reduced to a single game. Pretty important for Bama, as they play Penn State next week.
It was reported earlier this week that SCAR would find out their fate before Thursday’s game against Southern Mississippi, but that did not happen. In addition to TE Weslye Saunders, who had been suspended for matters not related to the NCAA investigation, SCAR was looking at as many as ten players possibly held out for their involvement in the hotel benefits situation, but only two did not play: OL Jarriel King and DB Chris Culliver. King was one of the ten players possibly involved in the hotel benefits situation, but interestingly, Culliver was not.
In Chapel Hill, ACC Now’s Joe Giglio reports the afternoon passed with no news about who would have a seat on the bus to Atlanta. Giglio notes that Butch Davis said UNC could still be sorting out player issues through the middle of the afternoon on Saturday. Giglio also writes in a separate post that UNC did release an injury report without any surprises or any big names.
So what can be taken from the news on Marcel Dareus? Apparently the NCAA has decided there was agent contact at the party so that at least gives a road map on the minimum that can be expected for Austin and Little.
Meanwhile, no news is, well, no news. Bus loads in 12 hours; let’s see who is on it.
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I miss the days when injury updates were all that was issued the week prior to football games.
Seriously…
inhale, exhale, smh
has the NCAA said who paid for Dareus’ trip, since apparently it wasnt Dareus?
Can we as UNC fans get together and sue the agents responsible and that tutor for being assholes and putting a mighty big damper on our football season? All money won goes to buying Marvin Austin type stunner shades for the student section.
Let’s see, it’s about 8:30. Wonder how many reporters are staking out the Kenan Center parking lot to see who gets on the bus?
Anyway, I will be in Atlanta cheering for whoever runs on the field.
I actually see the 2 game suspension of the Bama player as good news in the sense that there is some resolution coming.
WRAL is now reporting there are 12 players who won’t play:
“The university declared six players ineligible for Saturday’s game: defensive tackle Marvin Austin, cornerback Charles Brown, cornerback Kendric Burney, wide receiver Greg Little, defensive end Michael McAdoo and defensive end Robert Quinn.
An additional six players won’t play while their eligibility is in question. They are: tailback Shaun Draughn, defensive end Linwan Euwell, safety Brian Gupton, tailback Ryan Houston, safety Da’Norris Searcy and safety Jonathan Smith”
SO… we have no defense and we have no running game. Thus, TJ Yates and Boyd/Highsmith/Pianalto will need to carry the team. This is going to be Buntingesque… well, no, even Bunting could beat NC State…
Nice job Butch.
Well, it’s a good thing I’m going to be drinking heavily all day tomorrow… Twelve guys? Maybe even 15? In the words of Bart Simpson, “I didnt think it was physically possible, but this both sucks and blows.”
This sums everything up for me:
http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/748a0362df/hitler-is-told-about-the-unc-ncaa-investigation
In Butch’s defense, what is he supposed to do? Personally visit the room of each player each night and say, “hey are you doing your homework and making sure that a shady tutor who desperately wants to be your friend isn’t doing it for you?” It’s hard enough keeping track of 90 guys on a field in one place, much less when they’re scattered across an entire town.
^He’s got a dirty team and he STILL can’t beat NC State, finish in the top 25 or win a bowl game… if he can’t keep the team clean (and I’m not giving him a free pass on that btw…) can he at least do something noteworthy with it?
Seriously, this isn’t 1980s SMU or Dennis Erickson’s ‘Canes. I mean, really what the hell is he supposed to do when his guys are taking shortcuts? You can yell and scream and tell guys not to cheat on papers ALLLLLLL you want, but if they want to do it, they’re going to do it. And it’s not like these kids are the only ones cheating in the classroom at this or any institution, by the way.