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Sunday, December 3, 2000
Olson lashes out at NCAA over disallowed gift
Associated Press
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TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona coach Lute Olson is so steamed at
the NCAA that he says the organization ought to throw out its rule
book and start from scratch using some common sense.
Olson is miffed that Richard Jefferson, starting forward for the
fifth-ranked Wildcats, has been ruled ineligible for at least one
game for accepting plane fare and a ticket to Game 1 of last
season's NBA Finals from Bill Walton.
Jefferson was declared ineligible for Saturday night's 101-41
victory over St. Mary's. The university planned to petition the
NCAA on Monday to restore Jefferson's eligibility.
Walton's son Luke, a top reserve on the Arizona team, is
Jefferson's roommate and best friend.
Olson said this kind of action is what is leading some Division
I schools to consider leaving the NCAA and forming their own
organization.
"Situations like this one certainly make you wonder if what's
being said isn't something to be considered," he said.
Olson said Jefferson had gone with Luke Walton to Walton's house
in San Diego for the high school graduation of Walton's younger
brother. While there, the elder Walton gave his son and some of his
son's friends, including Jefferson, tickets to Game 1 of the NBA
Finals. Bill Walton was a broadcaster for NBC-TV at the game.
Bill Walton also paid for Jefferson's plane fare back to Tucson.
"Bill Walton is not an agent. He's not looking for something
out of this," Olson said. "I think common sense is what somehow
or another needs to be written into the guidelines. ... I guess
it's a case where if anyone tries to do something decent for you,
you'd better decline because it's probably a violation."
Olson said such acts, while technically a rules violation, aren't
the real problems in college basketball.
"I know some things that are going on in some schools in terms
of recruiting and all the rest of it," he said, "and yeah it's
frustrating, because I think we've always busted our tails to
follow rules and do things the right way in regard to our players,
but you can't be with them 24 hours a day, 365 days a year."
Jefferson said he had no idea he was violating any rule.
"Why should somebody want to stay in college with all this bull
going on," Jefferson said. "They say they want you to stay here
and get an education, but they're a bunch of witch hunts going on. I
have done nothing wrong. I got a plane ticket from a good friend."
The university expressed optimism that Jefferson would miss only
one game, but Olson said the school's lawyers felt the same way
when center Loren Woods was suspended for the first six games of
the season for accepting benefits from a family friend.
The friend had a 10-year relationship with Woods, Olson said,
and had helped him through rough times. Olson noted that many
college players come from tough, inner-city circumstances. He
mentioned how Arizona forward Michael Wright had recently spoken to
school children about how he avoided being caught up in drugs and
gangs.
"I wonder how many of those (NCAA) committee members have been
on the west side of Chicago," Olson said. "I wonder how many of
them have a feel for what these kids go through. This is the reason
that I think eventually it's going to be a case where players say
`enough is enough.' "
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ALSO SEE
No. 5 Arizona beats winless St. Mary's by 60
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