LITTLE ROCK — ARKANSAS STATE
AD Lee: Postseason ban not imminent
Arkansas State Athletic Director Dean Lee said Wednesday he doesn’t expect an ongoing NCAA inquiry to result in a postseason ban.
The school released a statement after the Jonesboro Sun quoted an incoming basketball transfer as saying he had decided not to play for the Red Wolves after being caught offguard when he found out about the investigation.
“All of our student-athletes should feel confident that their careers at ASU are not at risk due to the failures of the past,” Lee said in a statement. “Upon discovering those failures, ASU promptly took corrective actions and self-reported violations to the NCAA. While we certainly will have penalties related to the current investigation, we do not believe those penalties will affect eligibility for postseason play in basketball or any other sport.”
The player in question, Jay-R Strowbridge, said he was startled to find out what the school was facing, according to the Sun.
“It was nothing against the community or anybody there, but from my understanding I found out that there was an NCAA investigation,” Strowbridge was quoted as saying.
Arkansas State self-imposed a $43,500 fine last year after admitting “inadvertent mistakes” that led to improperly certified credits for athletes who transferred to ASU. The university said earlier this month it received an NCAA letter of inquiry concerning “potential violations involving ineligible competition of student-athletes due to failure to meet percentage of degree requirements and a potential academic fraud violation.”
The school says matters under investigation took place before basketball coach John Brady and his staff were hired by the school. Brady said he did not intend to mislead anybody about Arkansas State’s situation, but didn’t think anything of the inquiry because it concerned events from before his tenure.
“To me when you apply discipline, you apply discipline to the appropriate people,” Brady said.
Spots open for women’s football clinic
Arkansas State football coach Steve Roberts is hosting the fourth ASU women’s football clinic Tuesday at the football complex in Jonesboro. Registration, for women 16 years of age and up, is $25. Call 870-932-3930 or visit www.AStateRed-Wolves.com.
ASU-Auburn on TV
Arkansas State’s Sept. 4 season-opener at Auburn will be televised on Fox Sports Net. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
Central at Auburn, Ala.
VOLLEYBALL
Trojans’ GPA soars
The UALR women’s volleyball team, with a cumulative grade point average of 3.52, was one of 94 Division I programs to earn the American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award for the 2009-2010 season. The Trojans were one of five Sun Belt Conference schools to receive the honor.
Sports, Pages 21 on 07/22/2010