Though it must be pointed out he's only slightly more credible than "Ellis", the man trying to bring down The U, ponzi-schemer Nevin Shapiro, spoke to SI.com recently about Miami football, the NCAA's botched investigation and how he used information from Hurricane players and coaches to wager and win large sums of money.
Shapiro claims he won 23 bets on U football games between 2005-09 after talking with unnamed players and coaches, some of which knew exactly what he was up to. Further, he asserts when did rake in a big score as a result of the inside intel, he would be extra kind to players who provided insight, showing them some "financial love."
Though he never insinuates point-shaving, Shapiro does crow about winning stacks by placing bets against the 'Canes.
Beyond other highlights of the story focusing on the NCAA's investigation as a whole and how Mark Emmert bumbling leadership has many staffers looking for work, Shapiro gets in a final jab at The U in response to school president Donna Shalala discrediting him as delusional and mentally unstable:
"If I wanted to make a point and run her football players into ineligibility, I could do so right now from prison ... Nobody knows who I'm in contact with on the outside and for what reason. You think that these coaches, assistant or head, could possibly control the needs and temptations of 80-plus kids on their squad? In that city? No way Jose, and I could prove my point if I had to."
Miami brass appears before the NCAA Committee on Infractions today through Saturday. While the SI story will not be in play, a host of other transgressions will be at the forefront.
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT. ESPN released their Top 100 hoops prospects in the 2014 class and Thad is doing work, son.
A 6'4" guard with a 6'9" wingspan, D'Angelo Russell committed to Matta last Friday night after visiting Columbus earlier in the week, and the 23rd ranked player on ESPN's list made it clear he will do his part to see the rest of the class fill-out in a way that will allow it to pass the Conley, Oden, Lighty, Cook and Hunter. That effort will include attempting to coax ESPN's #1 player, 6'10" Whitney Young High School center Jahlil Okafor, to Ohio State.
Two slots ahead of Russell on the Top 100 sits Keita Bates-Diop, a Matta verbal featuring a versatile offensive game and a 6'7" frame. The Florida high-schooler, by way of Kentucky, was slated to visit heavyweights Kentucky, UNC and Sparty. The duo is joined by Pickerington product and Buckeye legacy Jae'Sean Tate, an explosive 6'5" scorer, who ranks 29th on the WWL's list and David Bell, a 6'10" three-star who doesn't make ESPN's Top 100 but has impressed the OSU staff with his athleticism and potential.
MOVIN' ON UP. Buckeye hoops news wasn't relegated to recruits last night as multiple sources reported current Ohio State video coordinator, Greg Paulus, will be promoted to fill the assistant coach vacancy on Matta's staff created when Chris Jent left Columbus to become Sacremento Kings head coach Mike Malone's left-hand man.
Though he's incredibly young at 26, I like the move. It wouldn't surprise me in the least if the Duke product emerges to become a top assistant in a few short years before parlaying that into a head coaching gig at a respectable mid-major or better.
Greg Paulus will be elevated by Ohio State's Thad Matta to assistant coach from video coordinator, per source. Former Duke PG and Cuse QB.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanESPN) June 12, 2013
With the lifeblood of any program being recruiting, Paulus should excel at building relationships with prospects and his smarts and pedigree should pay dividends for Matta's program. Thad must now find a video coordinator to replace Paulus. (Nobody's looking at you, Siciliano.)
Hired in July of 2004, Matta's current tenure ranks 51st among D1 peersIXNAY ON THE DOMESNAY = YAY. For years, the NCAA has killed any chance for an electric atmosphere at one regional site thanks to the premise of providing a particular domed site a dry-run ahead of hosting the Final Four.
The predictable outcome of the policy was a sparsely populated dome serving as the setting for huge NCAA tournament regional finals games (Sweet 16 and Elite 8) worthy of a much better atmosphere that could easily be had by way of a typical actual basketball arena.
According to Andy Katz, with upcoming Final Four sites having already popped their tournament cherry including JerryWorld, Indy and Houston over the next three seasons, the NCAA, in it's infinite wisdom, has decided to eliminate domes as host sites for regional finals action.
The loose policy seems focused more on the elimination of football-specific domes so a truly basketball site such as the Carrier Dome should be spared.
Though crowds for regional finals aren't large enough to pack a dome, the Final Four is a different story so don't get any ideas. I'm not really against domes, if they are full, as they provide an atmosphere worthy of the on-court product. That said, it'd be nice if they outlaw those ridiculous raised floors that often appear in domed settings so the guy in the 1,135rd row thinks Aaron Craft is a pale ant instead of an ashy gnat.
CHASING THAT EXTRA WEEK OF PTO. I'm just now realizing this is one hoops-heavy skully but there's one more item to pass along.
Patrick Stevens of D1scourse.com compiled the current tenures of all 351 Division I head basketball coaches and some interesting data emerged:
- A quarter of all Division I head coaches have been on the job for less than 15 months.
- True senior players (entered school in fall 2010) at 147 of 351 Division I programs have experienced coaching changes since their arrival. That's 41.9 percent of all Division I schools.
- Jim Boeheim (37 seasons) and Mike Krzyzewski (33 seasons) have worked a combined 70 years at their current schools. That's as many seasons (full or partial) as the last 101 coaches on the tenure list put together.
- On the job since July 7th, 2004, Thad ranks 51st.
- Only Tom Izzo (July 1995) and Bo Ryan (March 2001) rank higher than Matta.
- Former Buckeye assistant and current Texas head coach Rick Barnes has managed to survive 15 years at Texas (18th) despite losing in either the 1st or 2nd round of the Dance in eight of 14 appearances not to mention a 1st round exit in the CBI last year.
In case you missed it, D1scourse completed the same exercise for FBS football coaches back in January.
AAAND SCENE. The 10 Biggest Flash-in-the-Pan Athletes in Sports History... Knife vs. Toaster... No wonder Auto-Polo had a short shelf life... Superman to be inducted to Kansas Hall of Fame... There's just something about palm trees... "That Awkward Moment", Phish-style... Bernie Fine's defamation suit against ESPN is headed to federal court... The Lessons of the Megalomaniac University President... Forde being Forde... Deshaun to work out with the Pacers later today.
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