"When George Washington University signed recruit Omar Williams in 2001, Coach Karl Hobbs called him one of the top 20 high school basketball players in the country. In the four years he has played for the Colonials, Williams has lived up to that potential, starting almost 100 games and helping a mediocre program become the sixth-ranked team in the country.
But Williams was accepted at George Washington after failing to graduate in five years from his original high school and receiving no grades at three prep schools in the next two years, including one that burned down after he was there five days. The National Collegiate Athletic Association certified his transcript without any verification, making him academically qualified for a basketball scholarship.
George Washington said it followed NCAA rules when it relied on that certification in deciding to admit Williams, and said he is on track to graduate in May. But Williams’s history illustrates the flaws in the NCAA system set up to preserve the academic integrity of college sports and calls into question George Washington’s methods for building a basketball program bound for the NCAA tournament.
…“I have great confidence in Coach Hobbs and the university’s admissions policies for student-athletes,” George Washington President Stephen Joel Trachtenberg said in part of a statement that was issued to the media and later shared with alumni on Friday. “I trust Coach Hobbs.”
When I read this, keeping in mind what Bennett has gone through, I became incredibly angry. There should be howles and screems from the A10 front office to have GW fully investigated by the NCAA.
When I read this, keeping in mind what Bennett has gone through, I became incredibly angry. There should be howles and screems from the A10 front office to have GW fully investigated by the NCAA.
I for one thought that GW was better than this. Wow, this makes me angry too!
[QUOTE=Tintin;159123]is going to graduate in May with decent grades.
Tintin[/QUOTE]
For the record, lets make no mistake here. I doubt Coach Lutz and staff only look for players that make Honor Roll in HS. I’m willing to bet if the general public knew the academic records of everyone recruited by Coach Lutz, some people (possibly even myself) would have some issues with their past academic achievements.
I think the question here is the degree of bending the rules. For that, the NCAA is clearly the main body at fault. GW has exploited a loophole in the system. For whatever my 2 cents are worth, I thought Coach Hobbs was a little better than this.
I’m not saying that a student-athlete should have a clean academic history.
However, in my opinion, I would be disappointed to find out that Coach Lutz brought in a recruit with this kind of track record. I like to see Charlotte field a winning program, but I hope we don’t (& haven’t) stoop to this level.
[QUOTE=SilvioDante;159133]For the record, lets make no mistake here. I doubt Coach Lutz and staff only look for players that make Honor Roll in HS. I’m willing to bet if the general public knew the academic records of everyone recruited by Coach Lutz, some people (possibly even myself) would have some issues with their past academic achievements.
I think the question here is the degree of bending the rules. For that, the NCAA is clearly the main body at fault. GW has exploited a loophole in the system. For whatever my 2 cents are worth, I thought Coach Hobbs was a little better than this.
I’m not saying that a student-athlete should have a clean academic history.
However, in my opinion, I would be disappointed to find out that Coach Lutz brought in a recruit with this kind of track record. I like to see Charlotte field a winning program, but I hope we don’t (& haven’t) stoop to this level.[/QUOTE]
Well said, from what I’ve read on their board GW and their fans are idiots. They won’t acknowledge that Hall was basically ripping Lee’s clothes off and Lee was just defending himself from rape (:lmao:). But, I have and always will hate Omar Williams. This just gives me justice to hate him even more. When I saw that kid playing on the court for the first time, I was like man this kid is a punk! Now, Pinnock and Elliot on the other hand are good guys along with Pops. Hall and Williams are the two punks of the team and if we get to play them in the A-10 tournament, I wouldn’t mind seeing a C-Dub throw down right on top of Omar’s head.
[QUOTE=Ninerballin;159140]Well said, from what I’ve read on their board GW and their fans are idiots. They won’t acknowledge that Hall was basically ripping Lee’s clothes off and Lee was just defending himself from rape (:lmao:). But, I have and always will hate Omar Williams. This just gives me justice to hate him even more. When I saw that kid playing on the court for the first time, I was like man this kid is a punk! Now, Pinnock and Elliot on the other hand are good guys along with Pops. Hall and Williams are the two punks of the team and if we get to play them in the A-10 tournament, I wouldn’t mind seeing a C-Dub throw down right on top of Omar’s head.[/QUOTE]
The real point here is that GW clearly made a very concious effort to go into a very gray area of the rules, and basically took the risk they’d be called on it. The fact they’ve gotten away with clearly going against the spirit of the NCAA, and had full knowledge (which is critical) while doing so, to me says they should be sanctioned by the NCAA for multiple recruiting violations. The NCAA can’t litigate into minutia- Members must follow the rules and the spirit of those rules. Otherwise, what’s the point?
No way any legitimate program goes near a kid like Williams or Hall.
I’ve gotta be the only one who feels this way, but I thought Hall played smart and possibly won the game. Everyone knows the A-10 refs suck. Hall egged Goldwire into a blatant foul and walked away smelling like a rose.
Switch uniforms, and if Goldwire coaxed someone into a foul at a critical juncture of the game - I’d love him for it. I’ve come to the realization that the A-10 refs aren’t biased, they’re just bad. Ya gotta figure out what you can get away with, and take advantage. Hall got away with his foul, but they were going to call the foul on Lee no matter what.
All in all, Charlotte played pretty well, no seed position was lost, and we have a decent shot in the Tournament. Hats off to GW for going undefeated against the A-10, but I hope it doesn’t last very long.
You are right, you are the only one who feels that way. Hall didnt play smart. He molested our player! The refs just didnt see it that way, and this is because they suck. What comes around goes around. Hall got away with a big one and I believe the universe will see it fit for him to get some of his own screwball medicine at some point. Karma can be a bitch.
I wouldnt love Lee for getting someone to swing their arm at him in defense. I would think it was disgraceful and unsportsmanlike. We are better than that. I want us to win but not like that.
. I'm willing to bet if the general public knew the academic records of everyone recruited by Coach Lutz, some people (possibly even myself) would have some issues with their past academic achievements.
However, in my opinion, I would be disappointed to find out that Coach Lutz brought in a recruit with this kind of track record. I like to see Charlotte field a winning program, but I hope we don’t (& haven’t) stoop to this level.
somebody please post Rodney White’s, Iti’s, and Demons academic career before becoming Niners. Why was Demon 21 as a freshman?
Did anyone else see the article in the NY Times on Prep Schools that basically offer no schooling in order to keep the kids from being academically ineligible. NY Times front page, February 25.
That article fingered GW as intentionally recruiting kids with questionable academics. Hobbs seems to have been doing this for awhile.
Does anyone know what the classload is (type and number of classes) for the players? I have a strange feeling this could be a secret Univ of Georgia fiasco.