NCAA Sanctions SMU Basketball Program, Suspends Coach Larry Brown
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DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - The NCAA has banned Southern Methodist University from 2016 postseason play and suspended SMU men's basketball coach Larry Brown for 30 percent of the team's games this season due to a "lack of head coach control", a source confirmed to CBS Sports.
The NCAA announced the punishment Tuesday in a report that stated the school's former compliance director and a former men's basketball administrative assistant violated NCAA's unethical conduct rules.
The report also stated that men's basketball coach Larry Brown, "failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance when he did not report violations and was not initially truthful during an interview with NCAA enforcement staff."
As punishment, SMU will lose nine scholarships over the next three years, although SMU was two below the limit this past season. Other penalties include: recruiting restrictions; a vacation of certain men's basketball wins; the disassociation of a booster; three years of probation.
The root of the NCAA's investigation was whether former assistant Ulric Maligi and another person connected to SMU's program helped former McDonald's All-American Keith Frazier with online coursework.
Maligi left SMU in January while Frazier missed the second half of the season after being declared ineligible. Frazier is currently on the Mustangs' roster.
READ NCAA REPORT: SMU Public Infractions Decision
In it's admonishment of Brown, the NCAA acknowledged he had no direct knowledge or involvement in the misconduct, but faulted him because "he did not follow up on the completion of coursework."
"The head basketball coach failed to promote an atmosphere of compliance within his program. He failed to report the violations when the former administrative assistant committed academic fraud on behalf of the student-athlete and he initially lied to enforcement staff about his knowledge of the potential violations."
Coach Larry Brown's programs have been sanctioned by the NCAA before, the others happening at Kansas and UCLA.
*This is a developing story. Listen to 105.3 The Fan for the latest information.
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