NCAA violations haunt UCLA

Published: Friday, May 1, 1998

Friday, May 1, 1998

PROBATION: Despite outstanding sanctions, penalties don't impose postseason, scholarhip limitation

By Mark Shapiro

Daily Bruin Staff

As a result of various recruiting violations and dispersion of improper benefits to athletes, the UCLA men's basketball team has been placed on a three-year probation by the NCAA.

The infractions, which occurred under the tenure of former head coach Jim Harrick, ranged from players receiving everything from free meals to free Lakers tickets.

The sanctions were imposed by the NCAA Committee on Infractions at the conclusion of their follow-up to an investigation by the Pac-10 Conference.

Under the terms of the ruling, the penalties will not include postseason, television or scholarship sanctions.

The team will reduce its official recruiting visits from 12 to six for each of the next two academic years.

"I thought we got hit appropriately," UCLA athletic director Pete Dalis said. "We did some things that we shouldn't have been doing. There were no surprises in the sanctions."

Head coach Steve Lavin declined to comment on Thursday.

The NCAA stated in its report that more extensive penalties were not inflicted because "the violations were relatively limited and because of the swift and decisive actions taken by UCLA, (including) the termination of (Harrick's) employment."

Thursday's ruling marks the second significant violation of NCAA recruiting policy in the past two years by UCLA athletic programs. Last May, the women's softball team was stripped of its 1995 national championship title for "major violations" of NCAA policy.

In response, the UCLA athletic department enacted a series of education practices for the athletic coaching staffs, including monthly meetings and letter writing.

"It's frustrating. You do all of this education ... I don't know how much more we can do," Dalis said. "It goes down to the central character and core of who you are.

The penalties imposed by the NCAA will extend UCLA's current probation by one year, since it was already on probation for violations committed by the softball program. Under this recent penalty, the current probation period will be extended to April 30, 2001.

The NCAA ruled that UCLA did not violate a bylaw relating to repeat offenses because the violations committed under Harrick occurred before the softball violations. The repeat-offense provision will be in effect for the next five years.

While the penalties will curtail the basketball team's recruiting efforts, the five returning sophomores will be joined by a bumper crop of recruits, including 6-foot-11-inch center Dan Gadzuric.

If Gadzuric signs a letter of intent next week, the Bruins would likely have only one or two scholarships available.