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NCAA investigating Iowa State
Posted: Thursday February 17, 2000 08:42 PM
AMES, Iowa (AP) -- The NCAA is investigating possible rules violations by the Iowa State men's basketball program, athletic director Gene Smith said today. Smith said the university received a preliminary letter of inquiry from the NCAA in August and, after looking into the matter, responded late last year. University officials are now awaiting word from the organization on what steps, if any, will be taken next. The investigation apparently centers on Ernest Brown, a 7-foot center at Indian Hills Community College who has signed to play at Iowa State next season. Brown transferred to Indian Hills, located in Ottumwa, last summer from Mesa Community College in Arizona. Though Smith declined to reveal the exact nature of the NCAA's letter or the university's response, he said he was confident coach Larry Eustachy and his staff had done nothing wrong. "I feel very good about this particular inquiry," Smith said. "When you recruit a high-profile athlete, sometimes that happens. Accusations are made and you have to respond to them. It's not the first time and it probably won't be the last." Smith said he thinks Eustachy's staff has done an exemplary job adhering to the rulebook and "continuing to check and double-check NCAA rules and regulations. "They do the diligence," Smith said. "Really it's one of the reasons we hired Larry. He has an outstanding record in that regard, so we feel real good. We just have to go through the process to facilitate closure." Eustachy told the Des Moines Register he was confident the NCAA would find nothing wrong. "I feel nobody runs a cleaner, more detailed-to-the-guideline program than we do," Eustachy said. NCAA officials recently requested an interview with Brown, according to the Register, which reported on the investigation in a copyright story in today's edition. "I don't know why they called," Brown said. "I need to find out what's in the letter." Indian Hills athletic Director Kelly Conrad said he received a call from an NCAA representative on Jan. 26 asking for permission to interview Brown. "I asked them to put it in writing and fax it to me, but they have not done so," Conrad said. "They didn't give me any other details other than they wanted to talk to Ernest. We've had other interviews with the NCAA, so it's not out of the ordinary to have this happen." Jane Jankowski, public information coordinator for the NCAA, said she could not confirm or deny that Iowa State was being investigated. Smith said he expects to receive a response from the NCAA on the matter in March or April. Mesa coach Joedy Gardner, a former Iowa assistant, said officials at the school sent information to the NCAA detailing Brown's academic progress and the circumstances of his transfer. He said the information was not solicited by the NCAA. "My bottom line was that I didn't want Ernest to get hurt," Gardner said. "He didn't do anything wrong, other than make a bad decision." Earlier this month, Mesa athletic director Allen Benedict asked Gardner to quit at the end of the season after a former player filed a complaint with the school accusing Gardner of trying to persuade teachers to give low or failing grades to Brown when he wanted to transfer.
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