Just a few more items from Monday's news that three UNC players are permanently ineligible.
- Dick Baddour said there would be no appeal because the cases were not strong enough.
- Also interesting to note is Baddour said he thought about dismissing all three two weeks ago instead of sending Robert Quinn and Greg Little's respective cases to the NCAA for reinstatement. Baddour said there was a need to let the NCAA process play out but it may have played better from a PR perspective for UNC to say they had seen enough and dismiss all three.
- When it was announced Little had his eligibility nuked by the NCAA, there was a collective holding of breaths by the UNC fan base since Little spent part of his freshman season on the basketball team. As it turns out the violations in question came after that stint. There were also questions about Little being involved with the tutor on which the academic scandal has centered. However, Baddour said Little was not involved with the academic investigation meaning basketball is clean where Little is concerned.
- ESPN's Joe Schad said the seven remaining Tar Heels currently being held out of games is all related to the academic probe. That would mean the agent prong of the NCAA investigation is closed where individual players are concerned. The NCAA is still looking at the school or program in general which may take until next summer to finish up.
- One lingering question mostly left unanswered: Who provided these improper benefits? Baddour said it was not John Blake which is good news because if they tied it to Blake, UNC would be looking at the worst possible fate available outside the death penalty. UNC and the NCAA have not been forthcoming on who gave the gifts. Baddour said something about it depending on who was defined as an agent and who wasn't. It has been noted that Miami based Drew Rosenhaus has given some interesting answers to questions about UNC's situation and has even been downright defensive when asked in radio interviews about a possible relationship with Marvin Austin. Austin followed Rosenhaus on Twitter and he is also using a lawyer that represented Rosenhaus client Donte Stallworth. All of his is circumstantial but interesting nonetheless.
- Oh, Marvin Austin apologized. Not that I really give a crap.
One more thing. For those of us who believe in Craptastic News Thursday, it should be noted UNC found out on Thursday they just did not announce until Monday. Like Kara Thrace, Thursday continues to be the harbinger of death.