SMU’s basketball team, which made the NCAA tournament last season for the first time in more than a decade, was banned from this year’s postseason and was hit with recruiting restrictions, including the reduction of nine scholarships over the next three seasons.

Brown was hit with one of the most significant penalties. The 75-year-old SMU coach, the only coach ever to win an NCAA championship and NBA title, was suspended for 30%, or nine games, in the upcoming season. Brown also was punished by the NCAA in his previous jobs at UCLA and Kansas.

The NCAA’s case against SMU centers on a former assistant coach and an administrative assistant who conspired to complete the coursework for guard Keith Frazier. He was academically ineligible for the second half of SMU’s last season. The report also found that Frazier was encouraged by the academic assistant to lie during his interview with the NCAA’s enforcement staff.

Brown didn't have direct involvement in the academic misconduct, according to the report, but he allegedly misled the NCAA’s investigators and declined to report information to the school’s compliance staff. Brown was also penalized with a two-year “show-cause” penalty that restricts his duties.
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Brown is at the tail end of a celebrated but controversial coaching career. He is one of the six active Division-I men’s basketball coaches who have been inducted into the sport’s Hall of Fame. Also in that club are Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim, who was suspended by the NCAA for nine games this season, and North Carolina coach Roy Williams, whose team is currently being investigated by the NCAA for potential academic misconduct.

SMU hasn’t yet said whether it will appeal the penalties.

Write to Ben Cohen at ben.cohen@wsj.com

holfresh wrote:Brown is at the tail end of a celebrated but controversial coaching career. He is one of the six active Division-I men’s basketball coaches who have been inducted into the sport’s Hall of Fame.

tail end is right. guy's a coaching bum in today's day and age

arkrud wrote:OK
So if some player is talented in bbal but dumb as tree... he cannot play the game?
Or he he can go straight to DL where he is not even required to have an ability to read and write

Should not be allowed to play in college.

Go to Europe, China, or the DL.

This is undoubtedly taking place all over the country.

WaltLongmire wrote:

arkrud wrote:OK
So if some player is talented in bbal but dumb as tree... he cannot play the game?
Or he he can go straight to DL where he is not even required to have an ability to read and write

Should not be allowed to play in college.

Go to Europe, China, or the DL.

This is undoubtedly taking place all over the country.

Yeah but its not fair that a kid shouldnt get to learn some kind of skills. Maybe some tech schools can develop Bbal programs.. Even div 2 its ok if youre good enough they will find you.