May 2012 Basketball Wiretap

Four Hofstra Players Suspended, Charged With Burglary

Dec 4, 2017 3:51 PM

The Hofstra University men’s basketball team announced Friday that freshmen Jimmy Hall, Dallas Anglin and Kentrell Washington and sophomore Shaquille Stokes have all been arrested and charged with “various counts of burglary.”

The four players have been suspended from the team indefinitely, pending the outcome of the case.

The losses of Hall and Stokes will be especially tough for Hofstra, as they were the team’s second- and fourth-leading scorers, respectively.

Hofstra has a record of 3-4.

Kieran Darcy/ESPN

Tags: Hofstra Pride, NCAA, NCAA Suspension

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Myck Kabongo Cleared To Travel While Investigation Continues

Nov 17, 2012 12:26 PM

Myck Kabongo has been cleared to travel with the Texas Longhorns to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational.

Kabongo is under NCAA investigation regarding whether agent Rich Paul paid for an off-season trip and workout.

Kabongo started all 34 games last season, averaging 9.6 points and 5.2 assists.

Mike Finger/San Antonio Express-News

Tags: Myck Kabongo Lukusa, Texas Longhorns, Big 12 Conference, NCAA, NCAA Suspension, NCAA Misc Rumor

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Shabazz Muhammad Ruled Immediately Eligible

Nov 16, 2012 7:30 PM

Shabazz Muhammad has been reinstated by the NCAA to play immediately for UCLA after the university "acknowledged amateurism violations" in an appeal to the association.

"The university required the student-athlete to miss 10 percent of the season (three games) and repay approximately $1,600 in impermissible benefits. The NCAA agreed the actions taken by the university were sufficient. Because Muhammad has already sat out three games, he is now eligible to compete," said the NCAA in a statement.

Muhammad made unofficial recruiting visits to North Carolina and Duke that were paid for by North Carolina-based financial adviser Ben Lincoln.

Eric Prisbell/USA Today

Tags: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA Bruins, NCAA, NCAA Suspension, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General, NCAA Misc Rumor

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UCLA Set To Appeal Shabazz Muhammad Decision

Nov 16, 2012 5:21 PM

UCLA is appealing to the NCAA committee Friday to make Shabazz Muhammad eligible.

"Exactly what time I can't even tell you that," Bruins coach Ben Howland said on a conference call. "I've honestly never been through one of these so I don't know how quickly they're resolved. ... I really don't know."

Muhammad was ruled ineligible Nov. 9 due to a violation of amateurism rules.

"We're very hopeful and remain very positive about Shabazz," Howland said. "We've been very cooperative with the NCAA, and the family has, too. Shabazz and his family have been unbelievably cooperative.

"We'll be very excited once we get him back. ... He's a great talent. He's a great kid. He works extremely hard. Has a great motor. I think he's going to be a heck of a player."

Nicole Auerbach/USA TODAY

Tags: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA Bruins, Pacific-12 Conference, NCAA, NCAA Suspension, NCAA Misc Rumor

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Alleged Conversation Implies NCAA Prejudged Shabazz Muhammad Eligibility

Nov 15, 2012 12:49 AM

Attorneys representing Shabazz Muhammad are calling for the NCAA to drops its investigation and declare him eligible based on an overheard conversation on an Aug. 7 commuter flight.

Muhammad is a freshman at UCLA and one of the top recruits of the 2012 class.

An email from an attorney said she was seated behind a man who was speaking loudly about the work of his girlfriend, an "attorney with the NCAA."

The girlfriend, whom he identified as "Abigail," was investigating Muhammad. The man made it clear that the NCAA would find Muhammad ineligible and not allow him to play this season, the email said. 

Abigail Grantstein, an assistant director of enforcement, is the NCAA's lead investigator on the Muhammad case.

The attorney confirmed her story in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. She was concerned about the lack of confidentiality and "the cavalier discussion of this young man's future being tossed about for everyone to hear."

The NCAA had not seen the email and did not know it existed until it was brought to the organization's attention Wednesday, spokeswoman Stacey Osburn said.

Baxter Holmes/Los Angeles Times

Tags: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA Bruins, NCAA, NCAA Suspension, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General, NCAA Misc Rumor

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Shabazz Muhammad's Family Responds To NCAA Ruling

Nov 13, 2012 11:03 PM

Shabazz Muhammad was ruled ineligible by the NCAA on Friday for an alleged violation of amateurism rules.

Trips Muhammad made to Duke and North Carolina were paid by a financial adviser who is a family friend are the source of the NCAA's ruling.

Muhammad's family released the following statement on Tuesday.

"Shabazz and his family have been cooperating with the NCAA for well over a year. Earlier this year, the NCAA asked Shabazz and his family not to reveal to each other or to the press facts related to the NCAA investigation. Despite the many untrue rumors which were circulating on the Internet, Shabazz and his family dutifully did what they were told. In order to entice Shabazz's family and others to cooperate, the NCAA repeatedly gave assurances that it would keep details of the investigation strictly confidential. As recently as November 2012, the NCAA promised that it would not issue a press release.

"Last Friday, the NCAA released a press release which not only was wrong in its conclusions but which also inaccurately portrayed the investigation process in this case. For over a year, the NCAA has known all of the relevant facts related to its ruling last Friday. In 2010, Mr. Holmes [Shabazz's father] openly and honestly revealed to the NCAA the source of the payments on the NCAA's compliance form. Shabazz's family is now faced with the situation where they are concerned that any attempt to tell more of their side of the story will result in further punitive action, as Shabazz is still under the mercy of the NCAA. Shabazz and his family will continue to honestly cooperate with the NCAA in the hopes that Shabazz soon will be allowed to play basketball at UCLA."

The NCAA responded with a statement of its own, which said in part:

"… the NCAA staff has remained true to their statements to the Muhammad family, and we are committed to resolving the remaining matters as quickly as possible.

"… the NCAA staff requested specific documents on July 31 to assist in the evaluation of Muhammad's eligibility. However, the NCAA enforcement staff did not receive the majority of the requested documents for review until September 25, followed by more information on October 10, and the staff was granted access to additional critical information on November 1. On November 9, it was determined violations occurred, which was based on facts that were agreed upon by the university.

"It is important to note that NCAA amateurism rules are in place so that when student-athletes step onto the court, they are competing against other student-athletes who have met the same standards."

Los Angeles Times

Tags: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA Bruins, NCAA, NCAA Suspension

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Shabazz Muhammad Ruled Ineligible

Nov 9, 2012 9:51 PM

Shabazz Muhammad has been ruled ineligible for amateur rules violations.  

Muhammad, a freshman at UCLA and a consensus top-two recruit in the class, has no timetable in terms of the length of the suspension.

UCLA will appeal the suspension.

Sources tell ESPN's Chad Ford that Muhammad would be an expected top-3 pick regardless of whether he plays his freshman season at UCLA.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA Bruins, NCAA, NCAA Suspension, NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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