Former Tar Heel WR Greg Little has told Fox Ohio that he does not think the wins from the 2008 and 2009 season should be vacated because UNC did not use ineligible players.

Former North Carolina wide receiver Greg Little said his former school’s administration overreacted by vacating 16 wins from the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

“Players weren’t ineligible during 2008 and 2009,” Little said after practice with the Cleveland Browns, where he plays as an NFL rookie. “They were ineligible for the 2010 season. And those players that were ineligible didn’t play.”

Little was one of those players. Fourteen players missed one game, seven had to sit out the entire season — and four of them were dismissed or ruled ineligible by the NCAA. Little was ruled ineligible after the NCAA determined he had received improper extra benefits. Little was found to have received almost $5,000 in extra benefits, including diamond earrings and travel accommodations to the Bahamas, Washington, D.C., and Miami, according to USA Today.

The violations took place as far back as 2008, though. Those included playing seven players in 2009 after they had received receiving improper benefits, and employing a tutor who wrote parts of papers and works for players in ‘08 and ‘09.

Except UNC did use ineligible players they just didn’t know at the time they were which leads us to the age-old debate about the logic of this particular NCAA penalty. I am not a big fan of vacating wins but at the same time I think the penalty itself is mischaracterized, especially in the media. John Infante, also known as @bylawblog on Twitter explored the theory and practice of vacating wins with some interesting points raised.

But one thing most scholars will agree on is that sports are a subset of games. Games are distinguished from play by the existence of rules. The most important of those rules are the rules that determine who wins the game. A basketball or football team wins by having more points than the other team when time runs out. A baseball team wins by having more runs when the opposing team runs out of opportunities to bat. On the flip side, an individual or team loses a game when a competitor achieves the necessary requirements to win.

An men’s basketball team is not just playing the sport of basketball. They are actually playing the more specific sport of NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball. Aside from scoring more points than the other team, this sport has an additional requirement: to do so with a properly assembled roster of players meeting eligibility requirements. The NCAA Division I Manual is no less a part of the rules that disinguish college basketball from other forms of the sport than the 35-second shot clock.

When one team scores more points than the other team with an ineligible player, it has not actually won, since it has not achieve all of the necessary requirements for victory. So when a victory is vacated, it’s not rewriting history. It’s acknowledging the fact that the team is missing a piece of the puzzle.

The basic point is if a team uses an ineligible player then they have not met all the requirements to competition therefore cannot be credited with a win. It should be understood that he credit for the win is the only thing that changes when a win is vacated. The win is removed from the record books but the game and the stats still stand. So when people talk about a game not happening because it was vacated that is not technically true. The game did happen. The stats remain unchanged(except for ineligible players) only the credit for the win is taken away. Infante points out the NCAA should not only vacate the win but the loss for the other team as well.

If I have one complaint about the current way victories are vacated, it is that losses should be vacated to. Back to theory, you lose a game when your opponent achieves victory. Since your opponent did not actually win the game, you did not actually lose it. You still didn’t win though, because you didn’t meet the requirements either. So when a game is vacated, both the victory and the loss should be erased from the records of the teams. Personal records should stay though, since all the eligible players met the requirements to score those points, make those assists, and grab those rebounds. Yes, stats from a game with no winner or loser. Theory is still messy that way.

Messy is certainly the correct word but when you start altering records retroactively, it is bound to get messy. Vacating the loss as well seems like common sense given the general perception is that happens anyway even though official records for the losing school remains the same. Infante argues that because neither team met the requirements for victory the contest should essentially be declared a draw of sorts with only the individuals stats allowed to stand. In other words the game was played and despite a boatload of numbers that said players did something, it resulted in nothing.

Rounding back to what Little said, UNC did not meet the requirements for competition in those games therefore those wins will be taken away. It doesn’t matter to the NCAA that no one knew it at the time. They are interested in correcting the record as a mean of punishment. Whether that punishment is effective or not is a debate for another time. The silver lining here is the NCAA at least has the good sense to let individual stats stand or else someone like T.J. Yates would have been royally screwed.

It became clear after Mike Paulus dropped to third on the depth chart behind Braden Hansen and a wildly inaccurate T.J. Yates, the handwriting was on the wall. When you toss Bryn Renner into the mix, I am guessing Paulus did not want run the risk of being fourth on the depth chart at QB. By transferring to William & Mary, which is a I-AA school, Paulus will not have to sit one season.

The interesting twist is UNC plays William & Mary next October which might pit Paulus against his former team. Slightly less interesting is that Paulus is transferring to a team that has beaten Virginia more often in the past three years than UNC has.

Thus ends the enigma which has been the career of Mike Paulus. Coming out of high school, Paulus was so highly touted.  From the day he committed, the message boards had anointed him the UNC version of NCSU’s Philip Rivers meaning he was destined to be one of the great QBs of the ACC. Even before he stepped foot on campus, Paulus made waves.  During the coaching search following the dismissal of TCWSNBN, Paulus made statements to the effect that if he was not placated he might decommit and take others with him. Paulus wanted Butch Davis and ironically he got him which really did not help his career any.  Paulus redshirted his freshman year. The primary reason given was his adjustment from the shotgun to under center was a bit slow.  On top of that Yates had acquitted himself quite well in the spring and won the starting job over Cam Sexton. It never really got better. By his redshirt freshman season he was #2 on the depth chart but had to ill fated quarters of football which effectively ended his stint as  a Tar Heel. When Yates was injured in the 3rd quarter versus Virginia Tech, Paulus came in and was unable to hold the lead as the Heels ended up losing 20-17. Davis started Paulus the next week versus Miami and the results were not much better.  Cam Sexton was brought in and rallied the Heels to a win on the road.  From that point on, Paulus never really had a chance to see the field again and this season when Braden Hansen came in against The Citadel for mop-up duty it was a safe bet Paulus would be going somewhere else.

The question begs to be asked: Where did it all go wrong with Paulus? Without knowing what goes on in practice or his relationship with the coaches, Davis and John Shoop in particular, that is a tough assessment to make. I do know what I saw on the field both frightened and confused me. If that extended to practice on any level then it is easy to see why he dropped on the depth chart.  Interestingly the message boards are in full hand wringing mode blaming the coaching staff for not using Paulus correctly and expressing shock.  SHOCK, I SAY, that the recruiting services could be this wrong.  Well, it happens and as it turns out, Paulus was simply not that good or it was a poor fit which is a shame but that is how the pizzelle crumbles. In the end Paulus was a recruiting bust, sort of like Shavlik Randolph given the hype surrounding him. The only concern I have is the fact this is the 2nd QB in as many seasons to opt out of Chapel Hill. Cam Sexton did it last season and his relationship with Davis was thought to be the reason why.  In Paulus’ case, nothing has come to light about any bad blood between QB and coach.  It could very simply be a case where a player just did not pan out. It is not the first and certainly won’t be the last.

Hopefully he has a great run at W&M and I certainly wish him all the best.

And yes, I did notice UNC is down to only two QBs for the bowl game. No, I have no earthly idea what the Heels will do if both Yates and Hansen get injured.

For UNC, this game is all about opportunity.  UNC’s 3-0 start this season is the best opening win streak since 1997 when the Heels started 8-0. With a hapless Virginia team the following week and FCS team Georgia Southern after that, UNC has a good shot at starting the season 6-0 should they beat Georgia Tech in Atlanta.  Yes, the back half of the schedule is brutal but nothing builds confidence better than getting off to a hot start.  In terms of the ACC race, UNC can kill multiple birds with one stone.  For starters it is an ACC win and puts UNC in the mix with the winner of the Miami-Virgina Tech game being played later in the day.  Secondly, a win against Georgia Tech all but knocks the Yellow Jackets out of contention and at minimum places them behind UNC in the pecking order going forward.  Finally, a win on the road is well…a win on the road.  Not only is it like stealing something that does not belong to you but where UNC is concerned is another statement how far this program has come in only three years.  Prior to last season, the Heels were infamous for not being able to win outside of the state of North Carolina.  UNC broke that losing streak last season and this season already has a win at UConn.  Another win on the road not only gives the Heels a game that is really a toss-up but it provides this team a sense that they can win anywhere.

The rest of the post can be found here.  This is a huge game for the Heels and the Yellow Jackets.  UNC can take a huge step forward with a win.

But Davis was quick to dispel thoughts this spring that in two seasons under his watch the Tar Heels have reached the level of the Miami Hurricanes he coached back to prominence from 1995-2000.

“The concepts and philosophies are obviously the same,” Davis said. “But we’re still not a program that has the overall team speed or the kind of depth where our second- and third-team guys are every bit as talented as the starters.

“I do think we’re moving in that direction.”

David Glenn has a nice rundown of the Tar Heels following spring practice. Be sure to check it out.

• UNC opens baseball season today at 3 PM against VMI as the #2 team in the country.  This game will reopen Boshamer Stadium which was being renovated all of last season and by all accounts is totally awesome now.  If NC State’s Lee Fowler has taught us anything it is that having great facilities is the key to winning.  I fully expected the new stadium to push the Heels over the hump in the College World Series.
• All sorts of attrition in football.  Three UNC players(one walk-on, two scholarship) were dismissed from the team by Butch Davis for the always reliable “violation of team rules.” Cue the waiver wire talk on Pack Pride since these dimissals also help to alleviate the numbers game so many were concerned about.  All of those folks can go back to their lives knowing Davis has it under control now.
• On the coaching front, three UNC assistants have left to take jobs elsewhere.  Special teams coach John Lovett went to Miami, linebackers coach Tommy Thigpen, a UNC alum, left for Auburn and in three years will come back after Gene Chizik is fired.  Tight ends coach Steve Hagen also left for the Cleveland Browns.
• Two of the three football coaches who left have already been replaced.  Art Kaufman comes in from Southern Miss to handle the linebackers.  Troy Douglas was plucked from South Florida to coach the DBs.  Hopefully he has some super duper secret to playing a prevent that does not permit opposing teams from scoring at will with under two minutes left. Granted swapping assistants at this level is not something we can really get a read on but given some of the troubles on defense Everett Withers is going to feel some pressure seeing that he has two new coaches in his department.

“We have a plan for every kid that falls into that category  … whether it’s a grayshirt opportunity because of an injury, whether it’s an academic siutation where someone may have to go to a postgraduate [school], whether it’s somebody that they need some age, some maturity … there’s a variety of different guys that this fits.”

Davis declined to say which signees will not be on the roster next season, but it sounds as if each incoming player agreed to the plan.

“Here’s the secret that goes into it: you have to be honest with the player, the high school coach, the parents, and say, ‘This is our plan for your son.’” Davis said. “And surprisingly, as in the case of the University of Miami, when we did these sorts of things, some of the kids that we’ve signed are full qualifiers.

“They are fully academically eligible to accept a scholarship, they could have gone to any other school that they chose, and be immediately eligible at that school.

“But they said they wanted to come to Carolina, and they were willing to put off that opportunity until later.”

Because of the small number of seniors in lthe 2008 outgoing class, a few more current players will have to graduate, go on medical hardship or transfer in order for UNC to bring 25 new ones in (the NCAA allows teams only 85 scholarship players per season).

Here is what’s known so far:

• The Tar Heels, who used all 85 scholarships last season, lose 13 true seniors, including Jabir Jones, a walk-on who was put on scholarship, and Richard Quinn, a redshirt junior who said before the season he planned to graduate.

• Junior wide receiver Hakeem Nicks left early for the NFL draft, opening up a 14th slot.

• Quarterback Cameron Sexton, a redshirt junior, will graduate in May and transfer to a Division II school. In addition, redshirt juniors Richie Rich and Kenton Thornton and sophomore B.J. Phillips have decided to graduate.

• Darius Powell and Tavorris Jolly were dismissed from the team this season for violating team rules. Kennedy Tinsley was also suspended, and it’s unclear if he will return.

• Reserve offensive linemen Zack Handerson and Morgan Randall will go on medical hardship scholarships next season because of reported shoulder injuries. That means they won’t count toward the 85 limit.

That leaves 22 scholarship openings — and perhaps 23, depending on whether Tinsley returns — so far.

I am sure the critics will still take issue with Davis talking about having “a plan” for each player that means some of them will greyshirt or go the prep school route before winding up at UNC.  I am sure it will be suggested that Davis is stringing these kids along and plans to cut them off when no one is looking.  As was the case with the original hyperventilating that went on over this issue, there is no evidence that is the case.  I stated in my original post on this that Davis knew which players would not be coming back despite having eligibility left.  It appears a handful of fourth year guys will go ahead and graduate.  NCSU’s Tom O’Brien has a few players of his own doing this as well.  Couple those with some medical hardships, a transfer, a player going to the NFL and some other special situations what you get is UNC within 2-3 slots of being within the limit.

Now, I am not so naive that I think there is not a cutthroat element to this recruiting game but based on what Davis has said here, it looks like he is handling it the right way with the best interest of the players in mind.  If not, I am sure it will come out at some point and there will be hell to pay.

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Interesting football tidbit from ACC Now

Cam Sexton is a redshirt junior which means he is also set to graduate in May and it appears his career at UNC is over.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me,” Sexton said in a prepared statement. “I’m considering all my options, including the possibility of transferring to a Division II institution to play one more year. I have always been a competitor and I have more goals I want to accomplish on the football field. I’ll always be grateful for the opportunities I had at North Carolina.”

It would be nice to have Sexton back but it looks like he wants to go elsewhere and graduating allows him to do that.

In terms of the bigger picture, this sort of thing is what I was talking about a few months back when I said folks making a big deal about the scholarship numbers were jumping the gun on their accusations.  Since the season ended there have been two players put on medical hardship which means they still get their school paid for but do not count against the scholarship limit.  Hakeem Nicks turned pro and now  Sexton does not return.

Note: Heavily editing after publishing to correct the egregious manner in which I misinterpreted what the aritcle said.

If you are not aware of the backstory, Boston College coach Jeff Jagodzinski lined up an interview for the vacant New York Jets head coaching job and was told by AD Gene DeFilippo that if Jags went on said interview Jags would then be doing lots of job inteviews since he would no longer be employed at BC.  Given Jags delivered two straight divisional titles in the ACC and the fact there are no less than probably 40 head coaching jobs in college football, not to mention NFL opportunities more desirable than running a program in a city where no one is paying attention, this strikes me as an asinine threat to make.  Especially since, according to David Glenn, BC will have to pay Jags $1-1.5 million if they can him.

On one hand, DeFilippo is apparently tired of coaches looking for the next quick ride out of town and decided it was high time someone nail a head coach to the wall for flirting with the ladies at the bar.  On the other hand, Boston College is not a destination job.  Heck, if Dick Baddour played this kind of game I would be the first one to post how incredibily stupid it is.  Why? Because it does not change anything.  Jags was going to leave at some point and dropping a threat like this pretty much guarantees you lose the coach anyway.  What you are left with at that point is paying some guy you just fired $1.5 million, sitting three weeks prior to national signing day with no head coach and reputation as a administrator so frightening I doubt even Carl Torbush would take the job.

I understand the frustration being express rather ineptly here by the Eagles’ AD.  As UNC fans we have dealt with the possibility of Butch Davis every season since he arrived and there is nothing you can do about.  If you are not a destination job then you must always live with this kind of stuff happening.  Threatening a coach for going on an interview does nothing but screw the program.  Also keep in mind that while Jags contract provides for a payout to him if BC decides to terminate, there appears to be nothing in the way of punitive buyouts that Jags would pay if he left of his own volition.  DeFilippo claims they had a “mutual understanding.” Maybe DeFilippo should ask Dick Baddour how far a “mutual understanding” will get you in this business.  For Baddour it got him 8-20 in basketball one season.  Who knows what kind of damage the BC athletic director will reap from the way this was handled.

The bottom line is coaches are made to leave unless you are at a handful of programs and even then there is always the NFL calling.  The only thing you can do as an AD is hope you get a guy who is willing to stay such as alum(which did not work for West Virginia however) or hope you hold onto the coach long enough to build a solid program and made a great subsequent hire(what I think will be the case at UNC eventually.)  Whatever the case you should always put some kind of large buyout in the contract that at least gives you something out of relationship if the coach decides to leave.

Hakeem Nicks has the tools to be a good NFL receiver and there is no need to risk injury for what is probably very little in the way of upward movement in the draft.  Besides that, Nicks broke most of the receiving records at UNC in only three years and his 217 yards, three touchdown performance in the Car Bowl is a nice note to leave on.

Best of luck to the junior from Charlotte and a huge thanks for his contributions in resurrecting the UNC football program.