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Wednesday, March 15, 2000
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
NCAA
reveals
inquiry
of UNLV
The basketball program maintained institutional control but lacked proper oversight, officials decide.
By Steve Carp
Review-Journal
The results of the NCAA's nearly yearlong investigation into the UNLV men's basketball program arrived Tuesday, and the news wasn't good.
The allegations ranged from boosters giving student-athletes cash to coaches providing extra benefits, and the university could be subject to extra penalties because it is a repeat violator. School officials will have a lot of explaining to do when they go before the NCAA's Committee on Infractions June 16-18 in Lake Tahoe.
The 12-page letter of official inquiry lists the allegations uncovered by its enforcement staff, but the NCAA does not cite UNLV with having a lack of institutional control over the basketball program, which, leaves today for Nashville, Tenn., to compete in the NCAA Tournament on Friday against Tulsa. The NCAA did find that UNLV failed to monitor its basketball program properly.
"We have begun a vigorous investigation into the allegations," UNLV athletics director Charles Cavagnaro said. "We have until May 10 to respond, and we have a lot of work to do by that deadline."
UNLV will retain the services of attorney Mike Glazier, who works for a Kansas City law firm that specializes in dealing with NCAA cases. Glazier was hired by UNLV when the NCAA informed the school in March 1999 that it was looking into possible improprieties in the basketball program.
Tuesday, those findings included allegations that two boosters -- Las Vegas dentist David Chapman and attorney Steve Stein -- gave recruits and members of the team cash in varying amounts on different occasions.
In Chapman's case, it was Lamar Odom, who signed a national letter of intent in April 1997 to play for the Rebels but never did. Chapman, the NCAA asserts, provided Odom with cash totaling approximately $5,600, both before and after UNLV advised Odom on July 25, 1997, that he would not be able to enroll at the university.
The NCAA letter says Stein gave $400 to a player. A source familiar with UNLV basketball says that player is former Rebel Desmond Herod. Herod transferred to Seton Hall from UNLV after the 1998-99 season and did not compete for the Pirates this year.
The NCAA's letter also revealed that former assistant coach Greg Vetrone provided extra benefits to players and recruits, including transportation to a summer job, a free equipment bag and furniture along with providing the truck used to move the bedding from a storage facility to the recruits' apartment.
Vetrone, who was on coach Bill Bayno's original staff in 1995, did not have his contract renewed.
In addition, Bayno and assistant Max Good made illegal contact with potential recruits on the telephone, and assistant Dave Rice is accused of delivering a car payment for a player to a leasing agency, though the player paid for the payment with his own money, according to the NCAA.
The letter also says that a current player, whose name was not disclosed, provided false and misleading information to investigators on two occasions. .
UNLV President Carol Harter is aware of the allegations. In a prepared statement, she said the university will cooperate fully with the NCAA while making sure the truth comes out.
"The university's integrity is paramount," Harter said. "Therefore, my overriding desire in this matter is to learn the truth, to submit a complete and unbiased response to the allegations and to take swift corrective measures as necessary."
UNLV has taken action against Chapman and Stein, barring them from having contact with the program during its internal investigation while revoking their scholarship donor and season ticket privileges.
James Chrisman, Chapman's attorney, said his client did not give Odom money prior to his leaving UNLV, though Chapman did give Odom money once he left.
"Anything that says Dr. Chapman gave Lamar money prior to July 25, 1997, is false," Chrisman said. "Yes, David did help Lamar after that. But the kid wasn't in school and he wasn't going to school then."
As for his client being persona non grata with the basketball program, Chrisman said, "He's not happy about it, but he understands this is something UNLV has to do."
Stein could not be reached for comment Tuesday night.
For UNLV, getting people to talk might be difficult because the school has no subpoena power. Because the NCAA says UNLV is subject to penalties associated with the repeat-violator rule, the school cannot settle the case using a procedure known as summary disposition.
Summary disposition is a process where the institution accepts blame for certain violations and offers acceptable penalties. The infractions committee either accepts or rejects the offer, which is tantamount to a plea bargain in court.
When UNLV settled its six-year case with the NCAA in 1993, it did so through summary disposition. Part of that settlement was a three-year probationary period. However, the NCAA has a five-year clock for probation, and when the violations were alleged to have occurred in 1997, it fell within the probationary time frame. It also means that any violation, no matter how secondary in nature, has the potential for being considered major.
"That is something we're definitely going to have to deal with," Cavagnaro said. "The important thing for the university right now is to move forward as quickly as possible with our own investigation, come up with the facts and present our case to the (infractions) committee."
Bayno said, "I'm confident when all of this comes out in the wash that we didn't knowingly or willingly violate NCAA rules. We have done our job to this point."
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Printable version of this story
UNLV athletics director Charles Cavagnaro, left, and basketball coach Bill Bayno answer questions Tuesday about an NCAA inquiry into the program.
Photo by K.M. Cannon.
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