NCAA report is a Hoosier’s worst nightmare

Knowingly violated. Failed to deport himself with honesty. Failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance.\nThe NCAA finally dropped the other shoe yesterday, releasing the findings of its own investigation of Kelvin Sampson’s recruiting violations, and it’s every Hoosier’s worst nightmare.\nAccording to the NCAA, Sampson knew all along that he was breaking the rules, knew all along there were three people involved in those calls, knew all along he was giving the NCAA the proverbial middle finger every time he picked up the phone. Those aren’t secondary violations in the NCAA’s book – those are major violations. And major violations bring major consequences.\nDuring yesterday’s pre-game press conference, IU Director of Athletics Rick Greenspan said he expected Sampson “to coach in the foreseeable future,” while the NCAA report is sorted and deliberated. Don’t count on Greenspan’s foresight to stretch past this April.\nSampson, for all intents and purposes, is a lame duck coach. He might make it through this season, but any long-term future Sampson had at this University effectively evaporated the moment the NCAA released its findings.\nGreenspan and IU crossed their fingers when compiling and submitting their report of violations and instituting self-imposed sanctions last October. They thought they were hard on themselves. They thought they had left no stone unturned. They thought wrong.\n“Obviously, there were details that were included in the NCAA’s report that were beyond the scope of what our findings were,” Greenspan said.\nAnd while Sampson is certainly on the chopping block, Greenspan might want to start peeking at the Classifieds himself. \nIt was Greenspan that tapped Sampson on the shoulder in Spring 2006 after a nationwide search for the coach that would bring IU back to prominence. It was Greenspan that defended his hire despite the baggage Sampson carried with him from Oklahoma. It was Greenspan that vowed to make sure Sampson ran a clean ship. Now, it’s Greenspan at the podium expressing how “personally, professionally, profoundly disappointed” he is in the situation that developed under his watch.\nBut what’s the immediate effect of the NCAA’s findings? Isn’t there a basketball season going on? Aren’t the Hoosiers in the thick of a Big Ten championship race?\nDuring last night’s game, fans reacted to Sampson’s pre-game introduction with a mix of cheers and boos as if they weren’t sure whether they wanted to sing his praises or punch him in the mouth. Their confusion is understandable. In two years, Sampson has made this program matter again. IU has only lost twice at home since his arrival. Unfortunately, the second time came last night in a nail-biter against Wisconsin. Sampson’s off-court issues, however, have become an irreversible black eye on this program that no victory can mask. Any success IU has this year will be diminished by the sad scandal that has become the dominant storyline of this season.\n“The allegations that I knowingly acted contrary to the sanctions imposed on me for violations that occurred when I was at Oklahoma are not true,” Sampson read from a statement during the post-game press conference, the only statement he agreed to make on the issue. “I have never intentionally provided information false or misleading information to the NCAA.”\nThe words rang with the piercing jolt of a buzzer beater. The nightmare has just begun.